Golden Child
by VintageGirl71
Summary: Yazi Scarlett, also known as Aria Griffin, was never an ordinary girl. Abandoned by her parents when she was barely a toddler, she had no past and no family. Even when Mary Margaret Blanchard decided to foster her and she was finally happy, it still felt like something was missing in her life. But when she meets Henry Mills, things begin falling into place.
1. The Beginning Of Everything

**ACT 1**

"Things will get better if you just hold on to hope"

* * *

**Enchanted Forest, many years ago.**

_A five year old girl was staring at her reflection. She had emerald eyes and golden hair, which was combed into perfect waves. _

"_Mommy, what's this?" she asked, looking at something on her shoulder through the mirror. Her mother, Elizabeth, approached her and saw that she was staring at her birthmark, a star, with a frown. _

"_That is called a star" replied the woman, kneeling down beside her "Do you know what a star is?" Yazi Scarlett shook her little head softly "Do you remember all those twinkling lights you see through your window during the night?" she nodded "Those are stars" _

"_So, I'm a star?" asked the girl trying to understand, and her mother chuckled softly. _

"_Yes, you are" she nodded "But you are a different kind of star" upon seeing her daughter's curious glance, she kept talking "Each one of the tips represent something about you" Elizabeth didn't want her daughter to be ashamed of the birthmark, she wanted her to embrace it. That mark symbolized that she was meant to do extraordinary deeds. Thanks to that and some other things, she would soon be known as the Golden Child; a child capable of doing what others couldn't, and the most wanted girl in the entire Enchanted Forest, but nor her parents or her knew about it. _

_At least, not yet. _

_A couple of more years needed to pass 'till they figured out what the star meant exactly "You will have to find out those things on your own, but I'll help you with the first one" she touched the first tip of the star "This one represents kindness. Always be helpful towards others, and treat them nicely. Don't ever lose that, Yazi"_

* * *

**Present Time**

A blonde girl was sitting on a couch in an apartment on a little town called Storybrooke. Even though she had recently moved in, she knew that loft like she knew her name. She knew every single object in there; she knew every squeaking wooden board, every picture.

Afterall, she considered it home. And everyone should know their home.

She didn't have the memory of any other home. As far as she knew, she had lived in the Blanchard Loft with Mary Margaret Blanchard all her life, since her parents abandoned her when she was barely a toddler.

Aria Griffin liked the teacher. She was a kind person whom she had grown to love; and Mary Margaret loved the blonde girl, too. Loved her so much, that couldn't stand the thought of Aria living in an orphanage her whole life, not really knowing what it was like to have a family.

"Aria, have you seen my book?" asked Mary Margaret to the girl, who was reading peacefully on the couch. Upon hearing her voice, she looked up at her.

"Which one?" there were lots of books in the apartment, 50% of them belonged to Aria, and the other half to the woman. She had to be more specific.

"It's a big one with a brown cover and golden letters" the blonde immediately realized which she was talking about.

"Once Upon A Time?" it was the only one she could think of at the moment, and she was right, because the woman nodded "It's in my room, let me fetch it for you" she left the book in the small table and went upstairs, coming back with the other one in a few seconds. With a smile, she handed it to the woman.

"Thank you"

"What do you need it for?" asked the girl as the woman grabbed her purse and keys.

They had discovered that book hiding in a box in the closet two months ago, around the same time Aria moved in. Mary Margaret had no memory of ever seeing it there before that.

"A boy in the class it's going through a rough time, and I believe that this book could help him overcome it. Fairytales are a really powerful thing" Aria nodded in agreement. Fairytales always had happy endings, and that could make anyone believe in hope.

"Who is he?"

"Henry"

"The mayor's son?" Mary Margaret had told her about him a couple weeks ago, she remembered he was twelve years old, like her, and he was adopted.

"He has recently found out that he is adopted, and you know how that is" indeed she knew. Things like that could really someone.

"Poor thing…" she shook her head, he seemed like a really nice and sweet boy.

An idea then occurred to her.

"Do you want me to give it to him?" the woman looked at her surprised. That was actually a good idea, if there was someone who knew what the boy was going through, was Aria. She had gone through a rough time too; she was still going through it even if she didn't say anything. Mary Margaret knew; it's not easy to come to terms with the fact that you were abandoned, or that your parents didn't want you.

"That is a great idea!" she agreed, handing the book to her.

* * *

_First, there was the thundering of hooves galloping. Second, the whispering of the crowd as a black and white carriage pulled over in front of the village. Thirdly, the Evil Queen came out, wearing an all-black dress. The villagers all took some steps back, as the queen pierced them with her smouldering gaze. _

"_I'm looking for someone" she spoke up, her voice firm "Someone that I know is hidden somewhere here. So who will be the hero and tell me where she is?" there was a deadly silence, and Regina wasn't an especially patient person "Nobody?" she scanned the crowd of people, nobody dared to look back._

"_Yazi, come here" the eleven year old girl's mother called, almost in a whisper as her father stood by the window, curtain slightly opened, keeping watch. _

"_What-what's going on?" the young one questioned, her heart pounding rapidly as she approached her mother by the backdoor. There was something wrong, she could tell by the faces of her parents. And she assumed it probably had to do with the woman outside of the house, terrorizing the village. Everyone knew who she was._

"_Listen, sweetie" Elizabeth stated, grabbing her daughter's hands tightly "You're no longer safe here" the girl frowned, as she gave the window a brief look. She immediately gazed away when she saw Regina holding a shiny red thing in her hand. Her stomach stirred._

"_Is-is she looking for me?" her voice was trembling. Her parents had always told her how beautiful, but dangerous her powers were. They had warned her that people sooner or later would come looking for her, she didn't understand what they meant as a child, but now she finally did._

"_Yes" her mother said almost in a breath, and the girl felt tears springing her eyes "Yazi, look at me" she ordered, firmly but softly, and her daughter obeyed "Remember your birthmark?" the girl couldn't bring herself to speak, there was a lump in her throat, so she just nodded "The five values, recite them to me now" pounding was heard in the door, and as Yazi's father went to open it, Elizabeth grabbed the girl's cloak from the hanger and they stepped outside, hidden from the other side of the house._

"_Kindness" she began saying, her breath shaking as screams were heard from the front door._

"_Don't listen to it, keep going" Elizabeth ushered, placing her daughter's face between her hands._

"_Compassion" her father's angry voice came from the other side, he was talking to someone "Fairness" more screaming, a woman's, and she sounded angry "L-love"_

"_One more, keep going" Elizabeth said, as a bright orange light was seen behind her, back in the house, but Yazi kept her gaze nailed on her. _

"_Intelligence" she finished, and her mother nodded._

"_The world will not be kind to you, Yazi" she stated solemnly, her eyes serious as she knelt down and placed the grey cloak around her shoulder, tying the golden strings into a small bow "You will meet people who will want to extinguish your flame, your light. You mustn't let them" the tears in the girl's eyes began to fall softly, as she came to the realization of what was about to happen "You cannot let them keep you down, you cannot allow them to tell you who you are" behind her, the girl spotted Regina approaching the backdoor, approaching them, but she forced herself to ignore her, and look only at her mother's eyes "You must always remain true to yourself, no matter what anyone thinks. Promise me you'll do that"_

"_I-I promise, mom" she said, between sobs. The woman smiled sadly at her, placing the hood over her head. Her thumb caressed her cheek, sweeping some of her tears away. _

"_I love you, Yazi" she breathed out, her own voice trembling as she pulled her only daughter into a tight hug._

"_I-I love you too" _

"_Now go!" she ordered, and just as the girl began running away, the back door was opened. Looking back, the last thing Yazi saw was the wicked smirk planted on Regina's face, a smirk that would not let her sleep for a very long time. The smirk she would remember for years to come._

* * *

After classes were over, Aria spotted Henry sitting at one of the tables, far from everyone else. She began to approach him, with the book safe in her backpack.

"Hey" she greeted, taking a few steps forward. The boy turned to look at her curiously, probably not knowing exactly who she was. They were in the same class, but they only knew each other by name.

"Hey" he replied simply.

"You are Henry, right?" she knew it was him, but she wasn't just going to sit with him as if they were old friends. They had to introduce themselves properly before anything. The boy nodded "I'm Aria, Miss Blanchard's foster daughter" now it had to ring a bell.

The blonde girl sat across from him, and took the book out of her backpack "She wanted me to give you this" she slid the book across the table so Henry could grab it "She knows, and I do, too, that you've been going through a hard time lately, and this could really help you" the boy opened the book in the first page, which showed the tale of Pinocchio. He stared at it for a few minutes, before raising his gaze.

"Looks like fairytales to me" he said, and the girl leaned closer.

"And what exactly do you think fairytales are?" they were hope. She had read that book everyday since she had moved in with Miss Blanchard, she loved fairy tales. It reminded her that things could get better, which for her they had.

They smiled at each other.

"They are a reminder that our lives will get better if you just hold on to hope" Henry looked back at the pages in the book "Your happy ending may not be what you expect, it could be better. It's unique for everyone, and that is exactly what makes it so special" Aria had always been wise beyond her age "You can have that" she motioned to the book "It helped me, now it will help you" Henry turned a few more pages and found the fairytale of the Golden Child, and the protagonist seemed familiar.

"Aria" he looked up, and it didn't take too much imagination to picture her in the outfit of the book. The brown dress and grey cloak, the wavy hair. They could practically be the same person "Thank you" the girl smiled.

"You're very welcome" Henry kept flipping through the pages of the book, while the girl tried to figure out what to say. She finally did "Hey, I kind of know what you are going through" the boy raised his gaze and looked at her with curiosity "My parents abandoned me when I was little, I never really knew them. We may not know each other much, but I'm here if you want to talk, or if you ever want to get an ice cream" Henry smiled, making the girl smile, too. With nothing left to say, she stood up, walked a couple of meters, but then turned back to him, an idea emerging "In fact, I was about to get an ice cream right now, do you want to come?"

"Sure!" he closed the book and followed the girl, as Mary Margaret Blanchard watched in the distance with a bright smile on her face.

That was the beginning of everything.

* * *

**Okay, so a little backstory like I do at the beginning of every fanfiction I write. This story has been in my drafts for around three years now, back then I was obsessed with Once Upon A Time, I think season 4B had just began airing when I began getting ideas for a possible fanfiction. Then, I stopped watching OUAT for a while since it didn't seem that appealing to me, but now that it's done I recently began catching up with all the seasons and fell in love with it all over again. At least seasons 1-5A, as I publish this I am still watching 5B, have around five episodes left to finish it.**

**So, this is how the organization of this story will work: for seasons one and two, I will not write all episodes, just some that are relevant to my character. Maybe it'll be like 5-6 chapters per season, some that have nothing to do with the plot of the story but to the development of Yazi and her relationship with Henry, and while there will be romance, they're still kids in the first three seasons so it won't happen just like that. Patience is key here. Season three and forward, most of the episodes will be written, with my own twists of course, otherwise it's just another rewrite. **

**And as you might have noticed, I raised up their ages slightly, instead of ten they're both twelve, which I need for the development of the future relationship.**

**Woah, that was long. Sorry about it, but I wanted to clear many things up. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Golden Child! I can't promise I'll update regularly because I have college to worry about as well, but at least two chapters per month you will get. I'm always open to receive constructive criticism and feedback, so don't be afraid to suggest things or ask questions about plot points that might not seem clear, I'm not an expert in writing at all, and my first language is not english, so I do believe I have a lot to learn.**

**Now, yes, I'm leaving, have a wonderful week everyone!**


	2. Moon Sickness

Never had Aria felt so ill 'til the morning after her meeting with Henry. Her body hurt, her head was spinning and her throat ached.

She had to use all her strength to get up from the bed before going downstairs, and tell her foster mother that she didn't think she would be able to go to school that day, which was shame 'cause she really wanted to talk to the boy again; she had a great time with him the previous day, when they went for ice cream. He was a very lively and cheerful person, despite everything he had been going through, and probably was still going through.

Her body felt weaker with every step she took, and she lost balance several times on her way down, having to hold onto the rail so as not to fall.

"Good morning, Aria!" greeted Mary Margaret happily, looking at the girl, but her smile faded when she saw the state she was in "Are you okay? You look pale" she approached the girl and placed her hand on her forehead, to see if she had a fever.

"I don't feel so well"

"You're burning up" announced the woman "Off to bed. There's no school for you today"

* * *

_Seven-year-old Yazi Scarlett was resting on her bed with just her mother for company, since her father had gone to get some water from the well._

"_How do you feel, honey?" asked Elizabeth sweetly, sitting in front of her coughing daughter. _

"_My head hurts, mommy, and my throat, too" replied the little girl with another cough, causing her mother to look at her sympathetically._

"_I know, sweetie" she replied, bringing the girl in for a hug "I know" she caressed her hair lovingly._

_Yazi's powers came from the moon. During the full moon, she was very powerful, but during a new moon, especially the first day, she was weak and sort of ill, since there __**was no**__ moon. Today was the latter case._

"_Will this happen every new moon?" asked the girl when Elizabeth let go of her._

"_I'm afraid so, honey" nodded the woman solemnly, making her sigh._

"_I want to go out and play!" Yazi complained, folding her arms "I hate these powers" she decided, in a very seven year old manner._

"_I know you are angry, Yazi" started Elizabeth patiently. She didn't blame the girl for her attitude; she, in her place and at her age, would have felt angry too "But your powers are beautiful!" of course they were dangerous too, but beautiful nevertheless "I mean" she stood up "Look at these!" she motioned to a wooden table by the door, which was full of golden flowers she had created "These are beautiful, sweetie"_

_Both, Elizabeth and William, had agreed not to tell anyone about their daughter's magic and to not use it for their own purposes. She needed to be protected, because, while her powers were meant to do great things, they were also dangerous._ _And in the wrong hands, they could bring tragedy._

"_You are a very special girl, and you should be proud of that" she poked Yazi's nose, making her chuckle "And not just because of your powers. You are a beautiful person, inside and outside, and one day you'll grow up to be a wonderful young woman, I'm sure of it!"_

* * *

Henry got up happy of going to school for once, since Aria would be there, and that's something he was absolutely looking forward to. Not only because she was nice, which she was, but because he had read many of the stories in the storybook that the girl had given him the previous day, and he found many similarities between the characters from the book and the people he saw on the daily, and he had an idea why.

The last chapter of the book was about the Evil Queen (Regina) casting a curse on the Enchanted Forest, where all the fairytale characters lived, so they would forget who they were and lose their happy ending. It sounded crazy, but he was convinced it wasn't. He hoped Aria would believe it as well, since he would need her help.

But he was surprised when he didn't see the girl in class. He looked for her in the halls, in the courtyard, but didn't find her. At first, he assumed that she was arriving late, but when he didn't see her at lunch either, he started to get worried.

That's why, at the end of the day, he went to talk to the one person who could tell him what was going on.

"Miss Blanchard?" he called softly, causing Mary Margaret, who had been putting some books in her bag with a troubled expression, to look at him and smile kindly.

"Henry, hi!" she greeted cheerfully"You're here because of Aria, aren't you?" she guessed, and she was right.

"Yeah" Henry nodded "Why wasn't she at school today?"

"She wasn't feeling well" replied the woman with a frown, worried about her foster daughter "I let her stay at home, but tomorrow she'll be better" the boy furrowed his eyebrows, thinking back to the story of Yazi Scarlett that he had read in the storybook.

Yazi Scarlett was a special girl known as 'The Golden Child', the Golden Child had the power to turn things into gold, and she/he was also immune to certain magic spells.

"Today is a new moon" he mumbled to himself. Yazi Scarlett looked exactly like Aria, in fact, Henry was sure that Aria _was_ Yazi Scarlett. If he took that into account, why she was sick made a lot of sense.

"What did you say?" questioned Mary Margaret, frowning in confusion at him.

"Can I visit her?" Henry replied with another question; he had to tell her about his discoveries, and her Enchanted Forest persona.

The teacher's confusion vanished when she heard that.

"Sure!" she replied "I was just about to go back. You can come with me, but tell your mom first. I don't want to make her angry"

* * *

After three hours of reading _Percy Jackson_ and watching _Teen Wolf_ in her Netflix account for four more, Aria Griffin decided that she hated being sick.

She loved reading, yeah, but she could get bored after three hours, as most kids her age. And though Teen Wolf was great and kept her on the edge of her seat, it could get tedious to hear the same opening theme for four hours. It was constantly repeating in her head by now.

She was almost begging for something fun to happen, and seems her prayers were heard 'cause she immediately heard the door downstairs opening.

"Aria, I'm home!" Mary Margaret's voice came from the floor below, and some seconds later she was in front of her "How are you feeling?" she asked sweetly.

"Better" replied the girl, but she was lying. She felt terrible, even more so than before, but she didn't want to worry her.

"That's good to hear" nodded the woman, believing her words "I brought some company that might make you feel better!" she announced, making Aria look at her surprised when Henry appeared behind her.

"Henry!" she exclaimed, a little bit more excited than she intended "It's so nice to see you!"

"You too" replied Henry with a smile. Mary Margaret smiled at both of them as the boy sat on the bed.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me" she said, before leaving the room.

"What are you doing here?" asked Aria with a smile once her foster mother left the room.

"I didn't see you at school today" he replied "I-I was a bit worried" her smile only grew upon hearing those words.

"You were worried about me?"

"Yeah, I-I mean…Uh…" he stuttered nervously, making her chuckle at his awkwardness.

"That's very nice of you!" Henry grinned at her upon hearing that "I'm glad you came" she admitted, making the boy look at her surprised "I was getting extremely bored here on my own"

"Well, you are not on your own anymore".

"Did you read the book I gave you?" she questioned, leaning forward on her bed with interest.

"Yeah!" he replied, suddenly remembering why he was there, he sort of had forgotten while talking to his friend "I wanted to talk to you about that" Aria looked at him curiously as he took the book out of his bag, and left it on the bed. He started to go through the pages, 'till he reached Yazi Scarlett's story. He turned the book in her direction, so she could see the picture clearly "Who is that?" he gestured to the girl in the illustration.

"Yazi Scarlett" replied Aria promptly; she had read that book a thousand times, and she never got tired of it "The Golden Child"

"Exactly" agreed Henry "Doesn't she remind you of someone?" the girl frowned, not understanding what he was getting at "It's you" he said, causing her to look at him surprised.

"Henry, I might be many things, but the Golden Child is not one of them" she replied kindly "I'm nothing out of the ordinary"

"Think about it" he urged "Yazi always got sick during a new moon, right?"

"Well, yeah, because of her powers, but…"

"Have you ever gotten sick before?" he asked another question, confusing Aria even more.

"Uhm…No, I don't think so" she replied "Which proves my point. The Golden Child gets sick during a new moon, and I've seen many new moons"

"Yeah, but time was always frozen during those"

"Okay, now you are confusing me" admitted the girl. The confusion didn't help her dizzy head.

"It makes sense" replied the boy, and proceeded to explain it clearly for her to understand "The Evil Queen casted a spell on the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest, to steal their happy endings, and send them to the real world, without memories of their previous life. Yazi Scarlett was one of the characters, the legendary child known as the Golden Child, who could turn things into gold. Her powers came from the moon, she was stronger during a full moon, and weaker in a new moon" he made a pause, as Aria tried to process everything she had heard, before continuing talking "You got sick for the first time in a new moon since you came to Storybrooke, because things are about to change"

"Okay" Aria spoke up, trying to connect the gears in her head, which made it hurt even more, but she had to try, for Henry "So, what you are saying, is that I'm Yazi Scarlett, the Golden Child from the fairytales, but I don't remember that because the Evil Queen casted a curse to make us all forget who we are?" she asked, wondering if she had missed anything. She didn't think so.

"Exactly" said Henry, happy that she understood.

"Henry, I-I'm not saying I don't believe you" started Aria, trying to figure out exactly what to say so as not to make him feel bad "But do you realize how crazy that sounds?"

"I know" nodded the boy "But look at this" he turned the pages, 'till he reached the illustration with Snow White, Prince Charming, and their daughter, Emma "Snow White and Prince Charming sent their newborn daughter through a magical wardrobe to our world, with the promise that she would come back to save you all from the curse"

"But Emma could be anyone" shot the girl logically, doing her best to keep his hopes up. She was having a hard time believing what Henry was telling her, but wanted to try, and she would. She would try to believe his crazy story.

"I might know exactly who she is" said Henry with a smirk, making Aria arch her eyebrows.

* * *

"You want to look for your birth mother in Boston?" questioned the girl in disbelief "Are you crazy, Henry? That is dangerous! You don't know what's out there!" if she felt stronger, she would have been pacing around the room anxiously, but she didn't, so she stuck to the bed.

"Neither do you"

"Well, Yazi Scarlett does!" she replied. According to the book, Yazi had ended up in the real world for some reason at one point of her life. That was only one of the many adventures she had lived after escaping the Evil Queen "And she's telling you that it's dangerous" Henry couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing her comment.

"At least you accept that you are the Golden Child" he said with a smile "Emma may be the only person that can free you from the Evil Queen's curse"

"Regina is not _that_ bad, is she?"

"I need to do this, Aria" he replied, avoiding the question.

She stared at him for a few minutes. Seeing the determination in his eyes let her know that he was not going to change his mind.

"Fine" she sighed, making Henry smile "But promise me you'll be careful"

"I promise"

* * *

**So now you know what Aria/Yazi's powers are exactly! **

**Also, concerning the flashback; as you have seen, it happens before Regina attacks her village. Not all the flashbacks are going to be in chronological order, especially because some of them involve characters that appear later into the series, and I want to wait until I reach the actual season to write them, just like the show did. But I can say, that the timeline will be a bit more clear than in the series, in which is a mess and I think that not even the showrunners could keep track of it, which is kind of expected if there's so many seasons. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading! Hopefully the next one will be up on Wednesday, so stay tuned!**


	3. Fated Meetings

_She just ran. _

_She didn't know to where, she didn't know how far she was from her village, she didn't even know how much time had passed since she began moving. All she knew was that: A- Regina, aka the Evil Queen, was looking for her, to capture her and do who knows what with her B-She couldn't go back to her village and C-Her parents were dead. _

_She had never seen the evil queen in person until the moment she stepped in her village, but she had heard rumours about her. As had everyone else in the enchanted forest. Rumours about the terrible things she had done, the many villages she had destroyed and the many people that had succumbed under her power. She was supposed to be the next queen since her husband died and her step daughter was MIA, but nobody wanted to be under her rule. She was cruel, ruthless and unforgiving; her parents didn't stand a chance against her. They were, most definitely, dead, and all because of her. Because they wanted to protect her, because they wanted to give her her best chance in life._

_And what a chance, huh. She was an eleven year old girl who had never left her village to do anything but get water from the well, and now she had to survive in an unknown world all by herself. It wasn't like she could just ask for help to anyone, she didn't know anyone, she didn't have anyone to trust other than her parents, and now they were dead. Thanks to her. She was never going to be able to forget that. It was going to be a permanent reminder, and open wound. _

"_Where are you running off to?" she heard a male voice asking, making her stop abruptly as she stared at him. He looked her father's age, he had brown hair covered in a red sack hat, a stubble beard and green eyes. There was a wooden cart with goods behind him, a merchant probably. Yazi had seen many of them passing through her village, and they always had something with objects of all kinds, be it a backpack or a cart "Where are your parents?" he asked in a friendly manner "Are you lost? If you know your way back home, my wife and I can take you there" _

'_Wife'? Yazi frowned, there was nobody around but him. _

_Her mind was screaming warnings at her, telling her she shouldn't trust a man she had just met. And she was willing to listen, she had to get as far away from her village as possible, not go right back in the direction of the evil queen. That was suicide. _

"_I-I gotta go" she replied, walking past him. She didn't know who that man was, he could be working with the evil queen for all she knew._

"_Wait!" he held her wrist to stop her from leaving "It's not safe for a child like you to be alone in these woods, maybe you should come with me-"_

"_Let me go!" she snapped. She wasn't really sure what happened next, she felt a tingle going all the way from her shoulder to her fingertips, her heart was thumping wildly, and in the blink of an eye the man that had been standing in front of her merely some seconds ago, was now nothing but a golden shell. She opened her eyes wide in horror "Did...Did I do that?" she questioned, her voice shaking and her hands trembling._

"_Benjamin?" she heard a female voice ask, and she saw a woman walking towards them from the forest besides her. It was then that Yazi realized that all her running had led her to a road in the middle of nowhere, which was surrounded by trees "I got the water" she added, as she finally got out of the greenery, but then she spotted the young girl, and the merchant, turned into gold. The canteen of water she had been holding until then fell to the floor, its contents spilling through the ground "What did you do to my husband?!" she demanded with a smouldering gaze, and Yazi's eyes prickled with tears._

"_I-I didn't…" she tried to explain herself, but found out she didn't know how. Because yes, she had done that, and as the only other person there it would be stupid to deny it "It-It was an accident"_

"_You're a monster!" the woman shouted at her "Get the hell away from us!" _

_And she did, as the tears she had been holding in until then began to fall down._

* * *

Aria's gaze once again went to the clock hanging from the wall, marking 10:00 AM. Henry and his birth mother, Emma, should have returned the previous night, but she hadn't heard anything from him since he left that night to Boston. She hoped nothing had happened to him. She was so worried that she couldn't focus at all on the book she was reading at the moment, _Moby Dick. _That rarely happened. She couldn't help thinking of everything that could've gone wrong in Henry's journey. He might not have found his birth mother afterall, he might not have reached Boston, Emma might have sent him to foster care because, let's face it, a twelve year old kid you've never seen before showing up at your doorstep and telling you you're his mother could freak anyone out.

Oh, no, what if he got kidnapped?

As soon as that thought appeared in her head, she immediately erased it. No, Henry was fine. She was going to believe in him.

And just on cue, the front door opened and in came the boy.

"Henry!" she exclaimed, immediately standing up and approaching him "Thank goodness you're fine" she added, pulling him into a hug which he returned.

"I told you I'd be careful" he said with a small grin. Her gaze then set on a woman standing right behind him; she was blonde, with blue eyes. She was wearing a red leather jacket, and she was smiling awkwardly.

"You must be his birth mother, Emma?" she guessed, and the woman just nodded, her awkward smile widening.

"This is Aria Griffin, aka the golden child" Henry explained, and Aria still could not get used to being called that. But she _was_ that, so she probably should.

"It's nice to meet you" the young girl said with a small smile, making Emma smile as well.

"You too"

"Do you want to come to Granny's with us? I didn't have breakfast" Henry replied, and his mother arched her eyebrows at him.

"I don't remember agreeing to that" she pointed out sharply.

"You just did" the boy said, with a sly grin. Emma just shook her head in amusement, though she was smiling, and Aria chuckled slightly.

"I'd love to"

* * *

_Yazi didn't know how long she had been running, all she knew was that in the middle of her escaping, she had managed to find cover behind some bushes and sleep for the night, but it wasn't a good sleep at all._

_She was not used to sleeping on the ground, much less in the middle of a forest. It took her a lot longer to fall asleep than usual, while keeping her hands as close to her as possible so she wouldn't turn thing into gold by accident. _

_She didn't know what was going on, it had been a long time since she lost control of her powers like that, the first time being when she just found out she was the golden child. She was terrified. Everything she touched, intentionally or not, was wrapped in a golden cocoon. Her parents helped her control her powers back then, providing her support and stability. _

_She used her mother's old gloves for the first couple weeks as means of protection, but eventually, little by little, she began taking them off. _

_At first, she only touched small things; flowers, stones, leaves. Then she moved on to hairbrushes, forks and spoons until, eventually, she could hug her mother without being afraid of hurting her. _

_But now, that fear was back. And she had no idea how to control it. Her gloves were back home, and nobody was around to help her. _

_Yazi's eyes went over to the birthmark on her shoulder, hidden now by layers of clothing. She still remembered the first time she saw it, her mother's touch on her, telling her the first tip represented her kindness. Eventually, she began filling more and more of those. Compassion when she found a hurt bird on the side of the well, its wing was injured, she couldn't fly and and Yazi nursed it back to health. Intelligence when she managed to figure out that her parents were planning to throw a surprise party for her eleventh birthday._

_To some people it might just seem like a silly excuse to make her feel better about a black star tattooed on her shoulder, but to Yazi? It meant the world. Everything she had done in her life, she made sure to go to her star for guidance, and that always provided her with an answer. But now, she didn't know what to do. _

_The rustling of bushes was heard nearby, but before she could even get the chance to brace herself, a woman came through. She had black raven hair and snow white skin, a bow was in her hand and a quiver of arrows was hanging from her back. The girl stood up promptly, ready to escape if necessary. The stranger, upon seeing her, frowned. _

"_Are you alright?" the woman questioned softly, approaching her, but Yazi scurried backwards._

"_Leave me alone" she replied, her voice trembling._

"_Hey, it's okay" the black haired stated "I'm not going to hurt you" she attempted to approach her once again, but the girl stepped back, accidentally touching the tree behind her in the process. She gasped in surprise, and moved away as the stranger's eyes opened wide in surprise "You have magic" the woman realized, and Yazi quickly scanned the area, trying to find an escape route, but the only one she could see was behind the woman. _

_The black haired quickly realized what the girl was trying to do, and once again attempted to comfort her. She was scared, that much was obvious._

"_Hey, don't worry" she spoke up once again "You're safe with me" the blonde girl looked at her cautiously. She didn't fully trust her yet, but she seemed genuine "I'm Snow" she introduced, sticking her hand out for her to shake, but then she remembered what the girl could do, and took it back "Snow White" upon hearing that, Yazi remembered some posters she had seen a while ago at her village. In them, Snow White's face was drawn with the word 'wanted' written in bold letters, posters put up by none other than the evil queen herself. Regina was evil, and if she was looking for Snow White, it probably meant she was a good person._

"_Yazi Scarlett" the girl replied sheepishly, and Snow smiled._

"_It's nice to meet you, Yazi, how old are you?"_

"_Eleven" the bandit nodded in acknowledgement._

"_It's not safe to be here by yourself" the woman stated "Why don't you come with me?"_

"_Where?" Yazi asked cautiously._

"_My hideout" she replied. She still had a lot of questions about the magical girl, starting with what on earth she was doing in the forest all by herself, but Yazi was still fearful and she didn't want to push her, she could end up running away if she did, and she would never forgive herself._

* * *

Storybrooke was a small town, and Granny's was the only restaurant there. It was ran by an old woman whom everyone called Widow Lucas, but she was only old physically; her health was a good as ever and if someone messed with her, she had a shotgun and knew how to use it. Her grandniece, Ruby, worked with her at the restaurant. She was a girl with black hair, red streaks and questionable morals. According to Henry, she was Red Riding Hood's counterpart, which made sense considering that in all the time Aria had been living in Storybrooke, she had never seen her in any other colour than red.

But despite the impression she gave, Ruby was not a bad person. Yes, she always complained about having early shifts, and all she seemed to wear was mini skirts but she had never treated anyone badly, at least, Aria had never seen her doing it.

"Have you ever tried cocoa with cinnamon before?" Henry questioned to his friend, as they sat at the counter while Aria tried to decide what to order.

"Not really" she replied, shaking her head. She usually ordered a latte, she preferred bitter drinks "Should I?"

"It's the best thing ever" he replied. Emma had gone to the bathroom, it was just them two at the moment.

"Okay, sure" Aria said with a nod and a smile, as Henry turned to look at granny standing some distance away organizing the cashier.

"Two cocoas with cinnamon please" he ordered, to which she nodded before closing the machine and going into the back. In the meanwhile, Aria looked around the place.

It was 10:15 AM and that was the time in which it was the fullest. She spotted Dr. Whale on a table, checking out Ruby up and down with a grin, while she served some of the miners. She scoffed, wondering why exactly Mary Margaret was interested in him.

Though, according to the book, she was supposed to be Snow White who was in love with Prince Charming, whose storybrooke counterpart was a catatonic man called John Doe that Mary Margaret visited every day.

"So, what did Emma say?" Aria questioned curiously, shifting in her seat "Does she believe you?"

"Not yet, but she will" Henry replied confidently, and the girl nodded in understanding "She's the hero afterall"

"There's one thing I don't understand though" the girl spoke up with a frown "How do we get Emma to break this curse?"

"I'm not sure yet" he replied "But that's what Operation Cobra is all about" Aria smiled in amusement upon hearing his words.

"Is that what we're calling it?" he nodded "But what does that have to do with it?"

"Nothing, and that's the point" he replied logically "We can't have the evil queen finding out what we're doing, so we need to throw her off track"

"That's smart" she admitted, as Granny placed their order in front of them. They thanked her, before Henry spoke up again.

"Well, go on, try it" he urged, motioning to the white cup. Aria did as told "What do you think?"

"It's really good"

"See? I told you" Henry replied, as he took a sip of his own cocoa. She smiled at him, before grabbing her cup.

"To Operation Cobra" she stated, and he grinned before clanking both cups.

"To happy endings"

* * *

**You have no idea how many times I wrote Yazi instead of Aria while working on the chapter.**

**Anyway, what did you think about Snow and Yazi's meeting? And of Yazi herself? She was so scared.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you on Sunday!**


	4. Something More

_Yazi followed Snow White through the forest, scanning the area as they moved. Even though she didn't fully trust her yet, she was her best option at the moment. If it weren't for the woman, she would still be aimlessly wandering through the forest. She knew there were several villages in the Enchanted Forest, but it was such a big place that she had no idea where they were. She could be walking for weeks before she even reached one, probably starving and thirsting since she also didn't know how to get food or find a river._

_Yes, definitely. Sticking with the princess was the best choice. _

"_We're here" the woman announced, and as Yazi looked in front of her, she found a cave and got stunned for a moment. _

_Considering Snow White was a fugitive, she obviously could not live in plain sight so she shouldn't be surprised, though it was still a bit weird. But she shouldn't complain, the woman was agreeing to shelter her without even knowing her; she should be grateful. _

_And it wasn't that bad either. It was kinda cozy in a way. There was a wooden table, with two chairs and some candles. Lying on one corner of the room there were some blankets, probably where Snow slept, and a cauldron with a a crippling fire underneath._

"_I know it's not the best, but…"_

"_It's okay" replied the girl, shaking her head and smiling slightly, which made her smile too "Thanks" she added, as she looked around. _

_And then, something came to her._

"_Where did you get all this?" Yazi doubted she had just found the things that were now in her cave lying in the middle of the forest. _

"_It's a long story" she replied after some seconds of hesitation, and while the girl was curious as to what exactly that meant, she didn't comment on it any further._

* * *

Aria had been staring at the ceiling in her bedroom for the past five minutes.

Some time earlier, Henry had been sitting in the kitchen, telling Emma, Mary Margaret and herself through tears how Dr. Hopper, his therapist, told him that everything he thought about the curse and the fairy tales was a delusion.

Basically, that he was crazy. And by consequence, that Aria was as well since she believed Henry. But the girl couldn't care less about herself, she was more worried about the boy. He was devastated, and she didn't understand why Archie would say something like that to him. He was supposed to be Jiminy Cricket, the conscience who always did the right thing. And according to Henry, so far he had been very supportive of him and operation cobra. He had never once been like the rest and told him that he was crazy, but now all of a sudden he _was_ like the rest. And she didn't understand what made him change his mind like that, especially because of the things she had heard of him. She was tempted to go and ask him, but she was just a girl. She doubted he would listen to her.

She had overheard Emma telling Mary Margaret that she was going to drop Henry at Regina's and then talk to Hopper, and she hoped she could get through to him. She was the savior after all, no matter how hard she tried to deny it. If there was someone who could expose the truth, was her.

Suddenly, a shrieking sound was heard, and she sat straight, startled. Looking to her table, she noticed it was the walkie talkie Henry had provided Emma and her with for operation cobra. How he got them, she had no idea but didn't question it.

"Hello?" she called, after pressing the button to answer the call.

"Aria!"

"Henry! Are you okay? Did you get home?"

"I'm fine, but not home" he replied, making her frown. Emma and him had left over an hour ago "I'm at the mines" Aria opened her eyes wide upon hearing his words, realizing what he was about to do.

"Henry…" she said in warning, in hopes her tone would persuade him out of his insane (and incredibly dangerous) idea.

"Nobody believes me, but I know I'm not crazy" Henry argued, and the girl sighed.

"I believe you" she stated firmly. The fact that there was an evil queen that trapped fairytale characters in a town to steal their happy endings sounded insane, and exactly like the reason why someone could end up in a mental hospital. Magic was not supposed to be real, and yet Aria had a feeling it was.

Did it sound insane? Yes. Did she believe it? Absolutely.

"You don't have to do this" she insisted, shaking her head even though she knew the boy could not see her "You could get hurt"

"I need to find proof" he replied, showing he was not going to back away. Aria remained quiet for a few minutes, trying to figure out if there was something else she could say or do "I have to do this"

She sighed as an idea came to her, it was the last thing she ever thought she would say, and, at the same time, the only thing she could do.

"Don't move from there" she finally stated "I'm coming with you" Mary Margaret was not home, she was at the hospital visiting Mr. Nolan, so she would not notice she was gone. Hopefully when she came back, the girl would be as well.

"You are?" he breathed out in surprise.

"I told you I'd help you as much as I could" she stated firmly "So if you're going to do something that's obviously very stupid, I'm doing it with you"

* * *

"_Can I ask you something?" Snow spoke up, breaking the silence that had set since they arrived. Yazi looked at her curiously and nodded "How did you end up here in the first place?" she sighed. She didn't want to talk about it, but she felt it was the least she could do._

"_My village was attacked" she began explaining "By...Regina" Snow nodded in encouragement for her to continue "She...She was looking for me. I think she wanted my powers" the woman arched her eyebrows upon hearing her words "My parents...They told me to escape, while they bought time for me" she felt tears springing her eyes, and she did her best to hold them back and keep on talking, but she couldn't. It was too painful, too unfair "They're gone"_

"_I'm so sorry, Yazi" replied Snow, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, and then proceeded to say "Mine are too" the girl looked at her with a frown, tears still streaming "My mother died when I was a child, and my father...He was murdered, by the evil queen" Yazi stared at her sympathetically, as she wondered what would drive someone to destroy someone else's life. It was wicked. _

"_That's...Awful" replied the girl, wiping her eyes "Why does she do all this?" there was a long pause, the only sound that could be heard were the crickets outside. _

"_It's my fault" _

"_What? How?"_

"_When I was a kid, Regina told me a secret" she began telling, as she sat down in front of the girl "I couldn't keep it, and it ruined her life. So now she wants to ruin mine"_

"_But it doesn't justify it" the girl replied, shaking her head "I'm sure you didn't mean to"_

"_That's not what she thinks" _

"_Is that why you're living in a cave in the middle of the woods?" Yazi questioned, and the woman couldn't help chuckling. _

"_Yeah" she said with a small smile, looking around "This is all I have"_

_And now it was all Yazi had as well. _

"_Thank you" she stated after some minutes._

"_For what?" Snow questioned curiously._

"_Letting me stay here" she clarified "I wouldn't have known where to go otherwise"_

"_I couldn't just leave you there" she replied logically "Especially not after…." she left the phrase in the air, but her gaze went to the girl's hands. Yazi had forgotten about the fact that she had witnessed her turning a freaking tree into gold. She should probably explain that. Snow deserved to know what kind of person she was harboring. _

"_Do you know about the golden child?" _

"_I've read books about it in the royal library" she replied, and Yazi noticed a hint of melancholy in her tone. She was sure she missed her home, probably about as much as she did. But like Snow said, a cave in the middle of the woods was all she had._

"_There's a person in every generation who can turn things into gold just by touching them" she began explaining "And...Well, that's me. My powers began showing when I was seven, and it was the same as now. I couldn't touch anything without turning it"_

"_How did you learn to control them?"_

"_My parents helped me a lot" she replied "And I had some gloves I wore for the first months to isolate them" Snow frowned a thoughtful frown, as Yazi wondered what she was thinking. She followed her with her gaze as she stood up and went over the blankets in the corner. After searching through them, she found a pair of brown gloves and walked back to the girl._

"_Here" she stated, showing the accessory to her "If you wear these, you can do the same for a while" Yazi stared at them curiously as Snow helped her to place them in her hands, being extra careful so as not to touch her fingertips "At least until you learn to control them again"_

"_I don't know if I'll be able to" she admitted doubtfully._

"_You will" Snow said with a smile "You're just scared now, as anyone would be. But in time you'll grow out of it, and I'll help you"_

"_Really? You'd do that for me?" Yazi asked in surprise, and the woman nodded._

"_Yeah" she assured "And trust me, I won't let Regina ever get her hands on you. You have my word, I'll protect you"_

"_Thank you" was all the girl could say, as she instinctively brought in the woman for a hug. She was startled for a bit, but after some seconds she hugged back._

* * *

"You know, going down unstable mines was not how I planned to spend my friday afternoon" admitted Aria as Henry and she walked through the dark tunnels. The only light they could see was from Henry's flashlight, which he apparently had bought with some of Regina's money. Unbeknownst to her, of course. She wondered how long it would take for her and everyone else to realize they were gone.

"But you're having fun, right?"

"No" she replied as both, a statement and question. The boy gave her a quizzical glance, and she grinned slightly "Okay, maybe a little bit"

"I knew it" Henry said seemingly proud of himself, as they turned left.

"But what are we exactly looking for?"

"I'm not really sure" he replied "Something that seems out of place"

"You mean, besides two twelve year old kids exploring the mines?" through the thin light, she could see Henry rolling his eyes, which made her chuckle.

"Very funny" he replied, as he flashed the light on one of the rock walls, and a sparkle was seen. Henry exchanged glances with Aria, who had seen it too, before approaching said wall. Cautiously, the boy held the object in his hands, as both of them stared at it as if it was some rare artifact. Which it kinda was.

The gleam they had seen came from what seemed a shard of glass. It definitely seemed out of place amongst all the dust and rock.

As Aria wondered where it had come from, the ceiling began trembling and she watched in horror as small rocks began falling. It was breaking down.

"We gotta get out of here!" she exclaimed, grabbing Henry's hand instinctively as she began running away, the boy quick on her footsteps. They had to leave before getting crushed.

* * *

_Yazi had been reading a book that Snow had brought with her when she escaped Regina, when she was startled by noises coming from outside. It sounded like rustling of bushes and steps, which made her freeze in her place, wishing there was someplace to hide. Not that it would matter anyway, because if someone found a cave in the middle of the woods they were bound to be curious about what was inside, even if it was occupied. _

_But when she saw the familiar face of Snow White, she sighed in relief._

"_You scared me, I thought it was someone else" she admitted, closing the book as the woman placed the pouch she had been carrying with her on the table. _

"_Sorry" she said with a small smile, as the girl eyed the pouch curiously. It had the unmistakable sigil of the queen's kingdom. _

"_What did you get?"_

"_Some jewelry, coins…" she replied as she opened it "Nothing out of the ordinary" the girl nodded._

_When she first arrived to the cave, she had to admit she was a bit surprised at the fact that Snow was stealing things and selling them, but after a few days she quickly understood she was just doing what was necessary to survive. She went out and came back with something new everyday, but Yazi knew it wasn't enough for her. She was looking for something that could afford passage out of the kingdom, for both of them, in order to escape the evil queen. And she had to admit, she felt a bit guilty that she was out there risking her life while she stayed inside._

_That's why, she had been trying to think of something to do to repay Snow. She wanted to show her gratitude for taking care of her. She could no longer in good conscience stay put doing nothing. Besides, after a while, it turned out to be a bit boring. _

"_So...I was thinking" she began speaking up, making Snow look at her curiously "That after everything you've done for me, I want to repay you somehow"_

"_Yazi-"_

"_I know what you think, but hear me out" she cut her off, knowing she was going to say something like 'it's not necessary'. She knew her well enough to know at least that. _

_The woman was surprised by this, but she remained quiet._

"_Seeing as my powers are spiraling at the moment" she began, giving her gloved hands a quick glance, before raising her gaze again. It had only been a few days, so she didn't feel comfortable taking them off yet. She hadn't even tried "And if I step out of this cave, the queen will be onto me before I can even blink...I think I should learn to defend myself properly" Snow arched her eyebrows upon hearing her words "And you excel at that" in the four days she had spent with the woman, she had seen her using a dagger, bow and arrow and even a sword. Not to mention she was a master of hiding "So, I was wondering if you could teach me. And I know it will probably take a long time for me to learn, but once I do I could help you with the ambushes" she added "That way, you don't have to do everything yourself, and I don't need your protection all the time anymore" there was silence for a few minutes, until Snow's lips curved up into a smile._

_And that's how Yazi Scarlett became Snow White's apprentice._

* * *

"Are you okay?" Henry questioned, stopping once they were far away from the danger zone to catch his breath.

"Yeah" Aria replied between breaths of her own, trying to calm down now that the panic had passed "Did you bring the glass?"

"No, I dropped it" he replied "It was useless anyway, there's probably nothing here"

"I refuse to believe that" she stated, shaking her head and making him look at her curiously "If you say that there's something down here, then there must be and we're gonna find it" she had come all the way down there for him, she was not going to give up now.

"How are you so sure?"

"You weren't wrong about Emma" she pointed out, grabbing the flashlight from his hands and illuminating their path "I don't think you're wrong about the curse either, despite what everyone else might say" Henry smiled slightly upon hearing her words "I believe in you"

"Thanks" she smiled at him, and they began walking once again.

"Henry, Aria!" they heard a familiar voice, and they exchanged confused glances, before hearing it once again.

"That sounds like Archie!" Henry spoke up, and began running in the direction of the therapist, with Aria close on his feet.

And in fact, it was the therapist that had been calling for them.

"Archie, you're here to help us!" the boy exclaimed, as the girl flashed the light into the man's face, who had to squint until his eyes got used to it.

"Are you alright?" she questioned worriedly.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine" he replied, with a small nod, before squatting down to their eye level "We gotta get out of here, okay?"

"So you're still against me" Henry realized, and his friend looked at him sympathetically.

"Henry, there's no time for that" the man stated firmly, holding the boy by the shoulders "C'mon"

"You don't believe me?" he challenged, stepping back and shaking Archie's arms off "You'll see. C'mon, Aria" and with that, he began running away.

"He's telling the truth, you know?" she commented softly, before running after Henry, without giving Archie a chance to reply. She was still not sure why he had said those things to Henry, and even though now he was only trying to help, it was obvious the boy was still hurt. Like anyone would be, he was not going to listen to him so easily "Are you alright?" she asked, once they were far from the man's view.

"He still thinks that I'm crazy" he replied simply, grabbing the flashlight from her hands to illuminate some rocks around them.

"Which you aren't" Aria indicated sharply. She didn't want him to forget that "Adults can be dumb sometimes" she began, making her friend chuckle which, in turn, made her smile "He'll come around eventually, he just needs time. It's not exactly easy to admit that magic exists"

"You did" he pointed out logically.

"But it's different" she replied, making him look at her curiously.

Ever since she was toddler, people around her had always told her she had a wild imagination. At school, she would often get in trouble because of that, since she was always daydreaming instead of paying attention. She figured that was partly because of the many books she read, she always imagined what it would be like to live in a magical world, a land in which happiness was the core of everything, where the wrongs were always undone and hope was never lost. She always found an escape route in those stories, an escape from the very painful reality she was living in. It was terrible for a twelve year old girl to say that, but she was anything but ordinary.

As she tried to figure out how to explain her point, she spotted something shining out of the corner of her eye.

"Did you see that?" she questioned, approaching the rocks besides Henry.

"See what?"

"Right there" she pointed out to a medium size hole between the rocks, and just when the boy shone his flashlight down, Archie appeared behind them.

"You need to slow down" he stated, but the two friends were too busy trying to figure out what exactly they were seeing to look at him "It's too dangerous, we need to get out of here"

"There's something down there" was Henry's reply.

"Look at me!" Archie ordered, softly but firmly, which called their attention, since none of them had ever heard him speaking like that "I'm frightened for you!"

"Because you think we're crazy?" the boy demanded angrily.

"No!" he replied, breathing heavily, which made them frown. He sounded in a panic "Because we're trapped underground in an abandoned mine and there is no way out"

* * *

"I didn't mean those things I said, I shouldn't have said them" Archie admitted later that day. All three of them were sitting in an elevator they had found underground, but when they tried to make it work, an explosion occurred and dragged it down, effectively breaking it. So now, they were trapped, awaiting the rescue that most certainly was being planned above. Aria had no idea how much time had passed since Henry and her went down the mines, but she was sure that by now everyone had noticed they were gone. Especially since Archie was down there with them.

"Why did you?" Henry asked softly, and Aria looked at him curiously, wanting to know that as well.

"I guess I'm not a very good person" he replied, almost in a whisper, which made the girl look at him sympathetically. That was not true at all, she was sure she had done a lot for Henry over the past months. It was a simple mistake, everyone made them.

"By admitting you were wrong, you're already a better person" she pointed out, making Archie chuckle slightly.

"You are a very wise girl" he complimented, making her smile gratefully.

"Mary Margaret said that to me a long time ago" she admitted, leaning against the elevator wall. She had to give the woman credit, since she learned a lot of things from her.

A Tremble. Aria wondered where it was coming from.

"She's right" Henry backed the girl up, as Archie looked at both of them curiously "I mean, you're Jiminy Cricket"

"Henry, Jiminy Cricket was a cricket" the man said logically "He was a conscience, and I hardly think that's me"

"But before being that, he was a guy who took a long time to figure out the right thing to do" he kept saying, and Aria nodded in agreement. He made a few mistakes, and learned to make up for them.

"That kinda sounds like me"

"Now it's harder for you, because of the curse. To hear the voice inside of you. To be who you wanna be" Archie smiled slightly upon hearing the boy's words.

Another tremble.

"Hey, can I ask you again?" Archie questioned to Henry, as Aria reached for her bag and grabbed some candy bars she had brought from the house. She didn't know how much longer they were going to stay down there, so they might as well eat something.

"Ask what?" Henry questioned, smiling gratefully at his friend as he opened the package.

"Why do you think it's so important that your fairytale theory is true?"

"I don't know"

"Give it a shot" after some silence, he finally replied.

"Cause this can't be all there is" Aria once again had to agree. There had to be something better. Something else. Ever since that mysterious book showed up out of nowhere in her closet she had been wondering if there was something she was missing, something that was barely out of reach.

There had to be. A part of her was telling her that it wasn't possible, that it was just what she hoped, what she dreamed of, but what if it was? There was nothing wrong with aiming for something more. What did she have to lose?

"I understand" Archie nodded "And I'm glad that you have someone that does as well" he added, looking at Aria sitting by his side, which made both of them smile as well "It reminds me of the kind of person I wanna be, I just gotta listen harder"

* * *

Later that day, once the rescue was over and everyone was safe, Aria was at her house when she decided to give Henry a call.

She walked over to her bed, grabbed the walkie talkie, pressed the button and waited.

"Yeah?" she quickly heard his voice on the other side.

"Henry, remember the shard of glass that we found underground?" she questioned, sitting on the chair in front of her desk.

"Yeah" he replied, and it sounded more like a question than a statement "But it didn't mean anything"

"What if it did?" she asked sternly.

"What do you mean?"

"After Emma rescued us from there, I saw it on the ground" she admitted, as she stared at the crystal which was now being kept in a plate, bathed in its own dust "It was just there, besides me"

"Like magic" Henry realized, and Aria nodded even though he couldn't see her.

"Which proves the fact that there was actually something down there, we just didn't look hard enough" she explained.

"Aria?" the girl heard a voice coming from the stairs. She immediately turned the artifact off, and covered the crystal with a cloth.

"Yeah?" she said back, as Mary Margaret came into view, holding a cup of hot cocoa in her hands. She placed it in front of the girl, who looked at her gratefully, before leaning against the desk.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly "Being down there was probably a lot to take in"

"I'm okay" she assured with a smile "Besides, I wasn't alone" she nodded, smiling back, but her eyes were kind of sad.

"I'm sorry" she commented, and the girl looked at her curiously "I should have been there when they rescued you" Aria sighed slightly. She had to admit that seeing Emma and Regina so worried about Henry, and Archie and Marcus hugging tightly made her want to have someone checking up on her, to see if she was okay. But there was no one.

"It's alright" she replied, shaking her head and her depressing thoughts with it "You were working"

"That's the thing, I wasn't" she admitted, and Aria gave her a curious glance "I was actually...With Mr. Nolan" the girl smiled slightly upon hearing that.

"That's great!" she exclaimed, happy that Snow White and Prince Charming were interacting. It was a step closer to remembering who they were.

"It isn't" she continued sternly "I was off with a man who already had a family, when my real family was trapped underground, running for her life"

Aria knew what she meant, Mr. Nolan was married already to a woman named Kathryn, who was the counterpart of Prince Charming's fiance, Abigail.

"I don't want that to happen again, you're like my own daughter and I want to be there for you when you need me" Aria smiled, touched by her words. What happened after the rescue was long forgotten by now "Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can" she replied with a smile "You don't even have to ask that" she stood up, and pulled the woman into a hug, who returned it just as tightly.

"Now, how about we watch a movie?" Mary Margaret asked once they pulled away.

"It depends on which one" Aria stated mischievously.

"_The Princess Diaries_"

"Sold"

* * *

**Ooph, I finally finished this chapter. I'm sorry it took so long, but college has been crazy lately. I have exams coming up soon and I have to hand in a report in a couple weeks so I've been reading like crazy.**

**Also, this chapter is the first one (Of many) that happens in an actual episode, so that's why it's longer. It wasn't in my plans to write it at first, but then I remember how important the episode was for Henry's character, so I had to. Besides, it also gave me an excuse to develop Aria/Yazi and Mary Margaret/Snow White's relationship which is also quite important. **

**Thankfully, the next two chapters are already written so it won't take me as long to update. Hopefully, the following one will be up by Sunday.**

**Have a wonderful weekend!**


	5. Against All Odds

15:10.

Aria stared at the clock hanging from the hospital wall for the tenth time that day. Tick. Tock. She looked back at the bed in front of her, where the limp body of her friend laid, machines all around him.

There were many reasons why she thought she could have ended up waiting in a hospital room one day. Results of an analysis. Moral support. But she never imagined it would be because of a poisoned apple.

When Henry told her he was going to talk to Emma and convince her to stay, she thought of a number of ways in which he could do that. But it never crossed her mind, not even for a second, that he would actively consume something that could kill him. And yet, here he was.

Another minute passed. 15:11.

Her gaze went over to the door. It had been several hours since Emma and Regina had left to find a way to save him, but there were only two people in that room that knew what should be done. One of them was unconscious, fighting for his life, and the other could barely think straight.

It was like a dream she couldn't quite wake up from. Part of her was hoping that from one moment to another, Henry would wake up and everything would go back to how it was. But she knew. She saw it in the faces of the doctors, she heard it in the machines which kept increasing in amount. Life was slowly slipping from the boy who believed, and with him the magic of Storybrooke.

15:12.

* * *

_Yazi always had a lot of trouble processing bad things when they happened, whether it be herself who suffered through them or someone else, it was always hard. Especially if she knew the victim, and this was no different. _

_When Snow White told her that Regina wanted to meet her, Yazi insisted on going with her for back up, but the woman strongly argued saying she had to go alone and unarmed, which didn't do much to ease the golden child's worry. She promised she'd come back._

_She didn't. _

_A couple hours later, she got word through Doc that she had been poisoned by the queen herself, and that his brothers were mining for glass to make her a coffin worthy of a princess. The girl was welcomed to come with him, since none of them wanted her to be alone. But she refused, saying she needed precisely that._

_At the time, it seemed like a good idea, but she ended up not leaving the cave she once shared with the woman for three days straight. Even when the dwarfs came to check up on her, she still didn't leave._

_What was she to do? Snow White's poisoning only confirmed the fact that it was dangerous to stay in the kingdom while the queen was ruling, and while she had gotten good at sword fighting and assisting in the ambushes of the queen's carriages, she was in no way good enough to do it on her own. Her powers would have been wonderful in that case, since if she could turn a few things into gold and sell them, the problem would have been solved. _

_The thing was, she still had no control over them. It had been over a month since she escaped her village, and nothing. Snow tried to help her, but it never worked. She always ended up turning more than a few things accidentally. So that wasn't a choice._

_But, after two more days drowning in self-pity, she decided she had enough. So she threw on her hood, sheathed her sword, which she had stolen from some thieves on one of her many adventures with Snow, and began to make her way out of the kingdom. If she wanted to get out of the queen's sight, she would have to do it on her own. _

_She passed many villages, and when asked what brought her there, she simply replied she was a traveller. It would be against all types of logic to mention that she was the golden child, because she didn't know who she could trust and she didn't want to take any chances. _

_Fortunately for her, some villagers were kind enough to let her stay the night at their home, providing her food and shelter. And it was in one of those stays, that she heard word of a powerful sorcerer, who could help her get out of the kingdom._

_He lived in a castle, in the snowy mountains, far away from civilization. It was going to be a week's travel at least, but Yazi didn't care. This could be her only way of finally escaping the evil queen._

_She just hoped Rumpelstiltskin was willing to help._

* * *

15:19.

Aria felt steps approaching, but they were too close to her to come from outside. Looking up, she saw Mother Superior giving her a sympathetic smile.

"Why don't you rest a little?" she questioned, her tone warm, but the girl shook her head.

"I'm not leaving him" she replied, nailing her gaze to the floor. She didn't know if she could bare looking at Henry again.

It was that same morning when Aria was getting ready for the day, that she got word that her friend was admitted into the hospital because he passed out. She wanted to ask how, but when she saw that turnover in that transparent bag, she didn't have to.

She hadn't left her seat since then, she had seen many people coming and going but she remained the same. She had seen so many nurses and doctors, some for the very first time, come to check on the boy, and Aria was getting irritated. No matter how many experts came, how many machines they connected to his body, how many analysis they did to Henry's blood, they would not find anything. Because that was the whole point of the sleeping curse, but nobody was going to listen to a twelve year old girl.

"Don't you want to eat something?"

"I'm not hungry" even if she wanted to eat something, she was sure she would throw it up. There was a knot deep in her stomach, that grew tighter and tighter with every second.

15:20.

"At least come with me to get some air" she kept insisting "Then you can return" and Aria knew she would not rest until she got her to stand up, so, reluctantly, she did. Mother Superior smiled slightly at her, before placing a hand on her back as they walked towards the transparent door. If it wasn't for her hand supporting her, she couldn't have stood straight. She was practically dragging her feet, forcing them to go through the exit the older woman was holding open for her.

But before completely stepping outside, she gave him one last look. If it wasn't for the place or machines, he would have looked so peaceful sleeping. But she knew that deep inside him, there was a fight going on. A fight to save his life, because Henry Mills could not die. She was not going to accept that.

* * *

_Eventually, Yazi arrived to Rumplestiltskin's castle, and if she hadn't known he was a powerful sorcerer before, she would have found out just by looking at it. It was surrounded by a stone wall, and the door was wood, with some carvings on it. _

_She grabbed the ring shaped door knob and knocked three times. As she waited for someone to open, she breathed in. She didn't know what to expect, and it was very worrying. All she knew about this sorcerer was the his name was Rumplestiltskin and he was very powerful. She didn't even know what he looked like._

_After the most agonizing five seconds of her life, the giant door creaked and opened up. She put on a smile for first impression value, but it faltered when she saw there was no one on the other side, just a long courtyard that led into another door, which was wide open. She could see a bright red carpet beyond it, and a large dinner table._

_She began making her way towards it, wrapping her cloak tighter around her when a breeze picked up. She hadn't realized how cold she was until that moment. It seemed she was walking for ages until she finally reached the inside, and found herself in a spacious living room. The table was full of objects she had no idea of, and huge windows covered with deep red curtains. _

_And right there, in one corner, there was a man spinning a wheel, as threads of gold fell into a bucket besides him. _

_She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. It didn't seem like he had even noticed she was there. _

"_Hi, I'm-"_

"_I know who you are" he finally spoke up, looking up at her and she wondered what that meant. Did he know her name or that she was the golden child? Maybe both, considering how powerful everyone said he was "And what you want" he added, standing up to approach her, which gave her a clear look of his face. He had greasy gray hair, and grey, almost crystallized, eyes, the pupils barely visible. A chill ran up her spine, and suddenly she felt very uncomfortable. But she was not going to let it get to her, she did need his assistance after all "But I can't help you" her heart sank "Though I know someone who can"_

"_Who?" she questioned curiously, still keeping her distance from the man. _

"_Not so fast, dearie" he replied, grinning slightly "If you want to know his identity, you need to do something for me first. Let's call it a deal"_

"_What do you want?" she asked once again, she was willing to get him anything if it meant she could finally be safe. _

"_There's a little something I want you to get" he began explaining, walking around her, as she eyed him cautiously._

"_What is it?"_

"_Now, if I told you, what would be the fun in that?" he added, making her frown._

"_But then how am I supposed to find it?"_

"_It's easy to spot really" he replied, shrugging it off. She was about to say something else, but he interrupted her "Now, off you go" he snapped his fingers, and suddenly Yazi wasn't in his castle anymore. _

_The first thing she noticed about the place she was in now, was how humid it was. The hood that had kept the cold out, now felt heavy in her body. The second thing she noticed, was that there was no solid ground, or barely any, just water. It wasn't deep, it didn't go past her ankles, but nevertheless, she was quite thankful she was wearing boots. _

_Looking around, she saw many trees surrounding her, and the stumps had what seemed like moss. She was in some sort of swamp. _

_Just as she began wondering how on earth she was supposed to find whatever Rumplestiltskin wanted from her, something in the distance called her attention. Passed the water and bushes, there was a huge tree, its several leaves shaped a triangle, which provided cover from the heavy sun. _

_She guessed that's where she had to go, since the wizard had told her whatever she needed to find wouldn't be hard to spot. And that tree was __**very**__ noticeable. _

_She arranged her cloak, and began making her way there, water splashing with every step she took. _

_She had been walking for a few minutes, when she began to hear whispers. Stopping in her tracks, she frowned, wondering who else could be there with her, considering how abandoned the place seemed. _

_More whispers._

"_Who's there?" she questioned loudly, reaching for her sword "Show yourself!" it was only after she said that, that she realized how stupid it was. She had just revealed herself to whoever was there with her. _

"_Yazi" someone called, and when she turned around, she spotted two figures standing some distance away from her, their faces barely recognizable._

"_Who are you?" they knew she was there already, so might as well go all in "What do you want?"_

"_Follow us" she heard a female voice reverberating in her head, and when she looked back ahead, she saw the two figures were walking several meters ahead from her. To the tree. Her sword still out, she narrowed her eyes and began doing the same._

"_You know us" a male voice spoke up this time, and she frowned._

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_You know us" he repeated, and when the girl tried to spot the figures she had seen, they were gone. _

_With her heart pounding wildly, she continued her way to the tree, guard still up._

_For a while, there was silence, and then there wasn't._

"_You know us!" the same voice yelled this time, and Yazi felt someone turning her around. And she couldn't believe her eyes._

"_Father?" it was him, she was sure of it. But how?_

_Just as she was about to ask something else, her father's figure disappeared._

"_Why did you do it?" she heard someone else asking, and when she turned around she saw her mother. She looked the same as she did the day the queen attacked, same brown hair and loving eyes._

"_Do what?" she questioned, completely confused. When had it turned so dark? She could barely see the tree anymore. _

"_You disappointed us" her mother kept saying, before disappearing behind some trees._

"_Wait!" Yazi called, putting her sword back in the sheath and following the direction in which her mother left. She didn't want to hurt them, she wanted to talk with them. She needed to "Mother, father, where are you?" she asked to the silence, looking around. She had no idea where she was. _

"_You left us!" she heard her father yelling, but she could not see him "You killed us!"_

"_I-I didn't mean to" Yazi stuttered, tears springing her eyes "I'm sorry"_

"_The queen killed us because of you!" her mother reproached "We died protecting our pathetic little daughter, all because of your stupid powers"_

"_I-I didn't want that to happen" the girl replied, her cheeks wet and eyes itchy._

"_But it did" her father stated "And for what? You haven't changed at all, you're still as useless as you were back then. You can't even use your own powers, is that how you thank us? By running away?"_

"_I-I don't know what else to do" she said, trying to breath between sobs, but she couldn't. They were never ending. She wanted to run away but her feet wouldn't move. She was stuck in the torturous moment. _

"_You're unbelievable" she could barely distinguish their voices from each other now "All you do is let people down. You let us down, and now you let down that woman too, Snow White. She was poisoned because, of course, you couldn't bring yourself to do something for a change. You couldn't bring yourself to stop her before the evil queen got her hands on her. You're a wonderful golden child, aren't you? Truly outstanding"_

"_Stop it" the girl could finally let out some words through her crying and sobbing._

"_Are you sure you are the golden child? I mean, you haven't done anything 'golden' lately, have you?"_

"_Please, stop it" she continued pleading, closing her eyes and covering her ears to block their hurtful words. _

"_You can't even control your powers, and you think you will be able to survive on your own?" she heard maniac laughs "Now that, is hilarious"_

"_STOP IT!" she cried, and when she opened her eyes, the sunlight was back and the tree was standing in front of her. There were no more voices, and no sign of her parents ever being there in the first place. _

_Her legs felt weak, as if the whole world had suddenly collapsed on her shoulders, and she fell down, her knees hitting the solid ground underneath the tree. _

_And it was then, that she broke down. _

"_Outstanding performance" she heard a voice, and when she looked up, she saw through her tears that Rumpelstiltskin was standing in front of her, a small flask in his hands._

"_That wasn't real" she stated, shaking her head, her voice hoarse. The sorcerer giggled._

"_Of course not, dearie" he replied, kneeling down extremely close to her, but she was too weak to try to move away "But these tears?" he added, placing the cold flask against her cheek "They are" Yazi frowned, trying to understand what was going on "Tears of the golden child, exceptional magical properties" it was then, that she realized._

"_You made me go through all of that because of this?" she questioned in disbelief._

"_I didn't do anything" he replied, standing up as he closed the flask "This swamp has magic of its own. It reveals a person's own perception of themselves, so if there's anyone to blame is you. Not that you don't do that on your own quite well already" she sniffed, but decided to ignore his words._

"_I got you what you asked" she stated, standing up and wiping her cheeks. She was sure they were quite red by now "Now, where do I find this sorcerer?"_

* * *

15:30.

Aria was drinking some water Mother Superior had gotten for her as she sat in the hall outside of Henry's room, when a deafening sound was heard. She watched in horror as Dr. Whale barged into the room, several nurses following him. She tried to see Henry on the bed, but so many people were surrounding it that she couldn't. But she didn't need to be a genius to figure out what was going on.

Tears began blurring her eyes and streaming down her cheeks, the sobs came out in the form of a silent scream and she felt something soft pressing against her cheek, as two arms wrapped tightly around her. She didn't know who it was and she didn't care, she just needed somewhere to hide, even for a little bit. She could faintly hear someone calling out to her, murmuring, but she could not distinguish who it was.

She didn't know how much time she spent curled up in someone's arms, but it was enough to know that Emma and Regina had arrived, and were now standing inside the room she had been in minutes before, as they stared at their son helplessly.

Finally looking up, she could see that the woman who had stayed with her through her tears was Mother Superior. She could feel a second swarm coming, as she tried her best to look everywhere but into the deadly room.

And then, something weird happened. A flash of light. A gust of wind. It was so strong that it forced her to step away to fully take it in. The hallway in front of her began changing, shaping into trees and old houses, into busy streets and oceans below her.

She saw images from another time. A younger version of herself running through the woods, sprinting through the streets of New York City with a wallet in her right hand and a hood over her head, a small flask, a firebond and boys dancing around it, a curly haired boy, a purple mist. A name.

Yazi. Yazi Scarlett.

And if she remembered her name, that could only mean one thing.

She looked inside the room once again, and didn't hesitate to barge in. Emma was standing behind her, now conscious, son, as the evil queen stood some metres away, relief clear on her face.

"Aria" Henry breathed out, and the girl could have burst into tears again but she held them back and just grinned.

"That is not my name" she replied, shaking her head and the boy smiled in surprise.

"The curse" he stated, looking at the blonde woman, his face lit up "You broke it"

"That was true love's kiss" Mother Superior...Blue, announced as she walked into the room.

"No, no" Yazi heard Regina complaining, and when she looked at her, all she could see was the smirk from twenty eight years ago, the wicked grin that let her know that her parents were gone forever. Her blood began boiling.

"If I were you, your majesty" the fairy spoke up, a challenging look on her face "I'd find a place to hide" Yazi had to agree with that. Now that everyone's memories were back, the atrocities that she had committed against the inhabitants of the enchanted forest would not be forgiven. There was going to be a reckoning.

"Henry" the black haired called, approaching the bed. Yazi felt the need to cover him, but she knew she wouldn't do anything to hurt him, not in front of so many people. The people she had hurt. The people who would be waiting eagerly for even the slight mistake to pass judgement.

Henry didn't lean forward when she did, in fact, he put some distance between them.

"No matter what you think" there were tears on her eyes, and her voice was breaking "No matter what anyone tells you, I do love you" the boy looked slightly conflicted as Regina gave him one last glance, before running from the room. But when he looked at Yazi, that conflict was replaced with a smile.

"I'm glad you're okay" she admitted, returning his smile "But don't you dare do anything like that again" Emma chuckled slightly upon hearing the girl's words.

"I won't" he replied with a nod, but Yazi knew it was probably an empty promise. When he wanted to achieve something, he would not stop at anything until he did.

"At least not alone" she added in a small whisper, when nobody was looking, which did make him chuckle.

"How much time passed?" he questioned with a frown, as the nurses began taking off the cables that had been holding him captive.

"Several hours" she replied, sitting on the bed next to him "I've been here since this morning, Blue had to practically drag me out of this room" she added, and the name Blue instead of Mother Superior sounded very weird in her lips.

"You stayed here?" Henry asked in surprise.

"What else was I supposed to do?" she replied "I couldn't focus on anything else"

"Thanks"

"I think I should be thanking you" Yazi shot back, as he gave her a confused frown "It is thanks to you that my memories are back. All of our memories" she added the last part, looking beyond the room where several people were embraced in hugs, laughter flying from place to place.

"Actually, it's thanks to Emma" he added, looking to the corner of the room where the woman was talking with a nurse "She's the savior"

"But whose idea was it to hop on a bus in the middle of the night and go to Boston?" the girl asked logically, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"That sounds fair" he said, tilting his head to the side "But it was thanks to the book _you_ gave me"

"Just accept the credit" Yazi urged, getting tired of the conversation, and Henry chuckled lively. He was teasing her, of course he was. But she wouldn't have it any other way, and she tried to demonstrate it in the hug she gave him, trying not to squeeze him too much since he was probably still feeling weak. But he hugged back anyway.

"Yazi, Henry" they heard Emma's voice coming from behind, and they both turned to look at her smiling face "The nurses are going to run some tests on you to check your health, and as soon as they do we can leave"

"Okay" Henry nodded with a smile, and Yazi gazed to the window, another thought coming to her.

"Do you mind if I leave a bit early?" she questioned, looking back at Emma "I have someone I need to see"

"Of course not" she replied, placing a hand on her shoulder as the girl stood up.

"I'll see you later, Henry" she gave her best friend one last glance, before grabbing her backpack and going off.

* * *

_Yazi had been transported two times in a day, and she had to admit it was quite practical. But she also had to admit she hated that Rumpelstiltskin was the one who did it. He was disgusting monster, and she wondered what she would have done if she knew beforehand what she would had to go through to get to the person who could actually help her. Would she still had gone through with it if she had know she would see such horrible things?_

_She shook her head, getting rid of those thoughts. She was there already, nothing was going to change now. _

_She was a bit iffy about going to another sorcerer after the dark one, but she also knew it was probably her only way out of danger, so she gathered up her courage and approached the cottage she was now standing in front of. It was rustic, and it reminded her of her own house. It was also pretty much in the middle of nowhere. _

_She was about to knock on the door, when she noticed that it was ajar. She frowned, and pushed it open. _

_There was no one inside, and it looked quite normal for what it was, except for a strange door in the middle of it. It wasn't against any wall, it was just standing there. It was a bright red, unlike any other door she had seen. And there was a note stuck on it. Curiosity got the best of her, and she grabbed it in her hands, to read what it said. _

_**I know who you are and what you want. I conjured this door, which will take you where you wanna go. But be warned, once you step through it, it might not be so easy to come back. **_

_That was all, it wasn't signed. _

_Yazi frowned, and opened it. _

_The other side of the door was transparent, showing the wooden wall at the far end of the cottage and a bed. Hesitantly, she reached out for it, and gasped when she watched her own hand being absorbed by some sort of barrier. _

_She took it back, and tried to gather her thoughts. This could be her only way to get out of the enchanted forest and of Regina's grasp; whatever was on the other side of the door was going to ensure that. But the note said that once she stepped through, she might not be able to come back. _

_She looked back to the opened door behind her, the forest extending beyond it. She thought of Snow White, and of her parents, and came to a silent decision. _

_There was nothing there for her anymore. _

_So she took a deep breath, and was soon swallowed by the door._

_When she reached the other side, deafening sounds were heard and she had to cover her ears for a brief moment to block them. Once she got used to it, she lowered her hands and began to look around. _

_She was surrounded by people, all walking by in a rush, giving her some strange looks as they did. They were dressed very weirdly, and there were too many voices. She had only heard so many people in the gatherings of her village, and even then they were never so crowded. Grey buildings with doors and windows she had never seen before were set up all around the place, but the tallest one was by far some distance away, her neck hurt because of how high up she had to look._

_Where was she?_

* * *

As she walked down the streets of Storybrooke, there was a strange feeling in her stomach. This had been her home for twenty eight years, and now everything seemed so unfamiliar to her. But there was one person who wasn't.

She spotted her some distance away, hugging her prince in relief, and she couldn't stop the smile from spreading on her face.

"Snow!" she yelled, and when said woman turned to look at her, her face lit up.

"Yazi" she breathed out, as the girl ran into her arms, wrapping them tightly around her waist. The princess hugged back warmly, caressing her back softly.

When they broke apart, she looked at Charming with a smile. She had only heard things about him, things that Snow had told her in the enchanted forest, but she was still very glad to see him, even if she didn't know him.

At least, not in person, just through fairy tales.

Standing there in front of them, she realized just how strong their feelings for each other were, because even with their memories wiped clean, they were still pulled towards one another like magnets, against all odds. That was one thing Regina could not change, their heart's desire. Against her better judgement, her sworn enemies had found each other again. It filled her with joy, the fact that their love was so strong it could transcend so many barriers.

She wondered what that would be like.

* * *

**And we reach the end of season one! With so many questions brought up. What did Yazi do in New York? How did she get back to the enchanted forest before the curse hit? And what about all the memories that came back, a curly haired boy? Hmm, I wonder who that could be…**

**Season two will have six chapters tops, and then we move on to season three, and that's when the real fun begins! What do you guys think so far of Yazi and her character? Like her? Hate her? Let me know, I'd love to hear it!**

**See you soon!**


	6. Morning Conversations

**This chapter and the following ones will be shorter than usual, since these are moments I wanted to included from the beginning but they do not fit in any of the season two episodes I'm gonna write and even if they did, I think the meaning would be lost, so they get their own appreciation.**

* * *

**ACT TWO**

"Everyone has something that makes them special"

* * *

Yazi sat at the breakfast bar in the Blanchard loft, a bowl of cereals in front of her as she enjoyed the peace and quiet of the morning.

She never really had a problem with people, but she had to admit it was very weird not to be just Mary Margaret and her at home anymore. Emma had been living there for a while, even before the curse was broken, but after that happened David was obviously going to move in, and after Regina attempted to kill the prince, Henry was now there as well. A great choice in her opinion, he wasn't safe living with her anymore, especially now that she had her dark magic back.

But sometimes, it was nice to escape from all the voices in the house, which were even more now that Emma and Mary Margaret were trapped in the Enchanted Forest. Everyone was trying to find a way to get them back, and Yazi would have been too if she didn't have so many things in her mind.

Despite the curse being broken and her memories recovered, she still felt a certain emptiness in her heart. According to her fake memories, her parents had sent her to an orphanage and disappeared without trace. For some reason, they didn't want her, but at least they were somewhere in the world. And due to that, she could have hope that somewhere, someday, maybe she would see them again. Even if it was miles away, even if it was for a brief second.

But now, she knew the truth. Now, she knew she would never see them ever again. They were dead, killed by a woman in cold blood. A woman looking for her in the first place. That small spark inside of her had been extinguished forever, and while she did love living with Mary Margaret, it just wasn't the same. It couldn't be. Nobody was going to replace her parents.

She heard rustling upstairs, and wiped off a tear, trying to compose herself before whoever had woken up found her dwelling in self pity. Quick steps were heard, and when she looked towards the stairs, she found her very own best friend half-awake, his hair a mess. It was kinda adorable to be honest.

"Hey, you" she greeted with a smile, pushing all her depressing thoughts aside. Henry had enough to deal with on his own, she didn't want to add anything more to the mix.

"Good morning" he said with a yawn, as he rubbed his eyes to get rid of the last traces of sleep.

"There's some cereal on the top shelf, and orange juice in the fridge" she announced, as she took a sip from her hot cocoa with cinnamon. Ever since Henry introduced her to it, it was the only thing she drank in the morning.

She watched as her friend reached out for some grains of cereal from _her_ bowl, and placed them in his mouth.

"Hey, that's mine!" she complained in disbelief, but he didn't seem fazed by it.

"Good, but it could use some milk" he observed, munching on some more.

"Do you usually steal from other people's cereals?" she questioned a bit sarcastic, knowing full well Henry would not take it the wrong way. That was just the way she was. And he had his own quota of sarcasm sometimes as well.

"Nope, just yours" he replied simply, as her served his own breakfast. Yazi gave him a 'seriously?' glance, and all he could do was chuckle "You'll get over it" all she did was roll her eyes in amusement. She couldn't really get angry at him, as much as she tried.

"How are you holding up?" she questioned softly, changing the subject as he sat besides her on the counter.

"I'm fine" he replied, and he sounded genuine, but Yazi knew he was probably very worried on the inside.

"We'll get them back" she assured "You know that, right?"

They just needed to figure out how.

"I know" he stated with a nod, and a smile. Yazi just smiled back, amazed at the boy's capabilities to believe. There was no sign of hesitation on his voice, or face. He knew, they both did, that everyone around them would do everything they could to get the two women back.

If there was one thing that the people of Storybrooke knew how to do, was to rescue fellow companions. It only took twenty eight years, but they were finally rescued from the evil queen. Barely a week had passed since Emma and Mary Margaret were sucked into the hat, they had dealt with much worse.

"Hey, that reminds me, my mother got her magic back. Did you get yours?"

"I'm not sure" she replied with a frown. With everything that had been going on she had completely forgotten she was supposed to have powers. And to be fair, she hadn't used them in years, so that also counted.

As she was thinking this, Henry looked around, seemingly for something specific. She frowned as he walked over to the sink, grabbed a teaspoon from the dishwasher and then came back, leaving it in front of her.

"Here, try turning this into gold" he indicated. Yazi was not sure how Mary Margaret would react upon seeing she had turned one of her utensils into something worth millions, but she had nothing to lose. There were plenty more spoons.

She mentally prepared herself. She didn't know whether it was going to work or not, but what was more weird was the fact that she hadn't done it in ages. She didn't remember how it felt, and she didn't know whether that was good or bad.

She reached out for the spoon, and placed one finger on it. For a while, she felt nothing and wondered if Regina was the only one who had gotten her powers back, but soon enough she felt a very familiar tingle extending from her head to her toes, and not long after the spoon that was once metal, was now golden. She chuckled joyfully, and when she looked at Henry she noticed his face had lit up like a christmas tree.

"That's so cool"

"Thanks!" she smiled slightly. She was worried that so much time without using her powers would make them spiral again, but she knew now she didn't have to worry about that anymore. After _he_ had helped her control them, it shouldn't surprise her. Hopefully they would never be a problem again "I have no idea what to do with this now though" she added, scanning the golden spoon.

"Sell it on EBay?" Henry suggested, and she chuckled though she wasn't sure he was joking.

"Like anyone would believe it's actual gold"

"You never know" he replied with a shrug "People believe everything these days"

"Says the boy who thought that everyone in this town was a fairytale character by simply reading a book" she pointed out logically.

"And who was the one who gave me said book in the first place?" he questioned, giving her a sly grin.

"Ah, touche" she admitted "So that means we're both crazy"

"Possibly" he replied, and they chuckled just as they heard steps. They turned to look at the stairwell, to find David coming down, already dressed for the day

"Good morning, you two" he greeted with a smile, and just then his gaze set on the golden spoon "I assume you did that" he added, looking at Yazi.

"Maybe" she replied jokingly, and David just shook his head in amusement.

And for a brief moment, everything was okay.

* * *

**Like I said, not much happened, but I hope you enjoyed at least a little bit! And who do you think is the 'he' that Yazi is talking about?**

**I hope you guys have an amazing day, and I'll read you on Wednesday!**


	7. Just A Nightmare

It was 11:30 PM and Yazi was the only person awake in the Blanchard loft. Henry and David were both sleeping, and...Well, Emma and Mary Margaret were still in the Enchanted Forest. She wondered how much more they would have to wait to get them back, she was beginning to miss them.

At least she had her books to keep her company at such late hours. Currently she was reading a romance book, she was very invested on it, but suddenly something pulled her out of it. A scream. And it wasn't just anyone's scream, it was Henry's.

With her heart pounding, she shut the book and rushed downstairs, where the boy was currently sleeping, forgetting to put on shoes or even a robe. She could have slipped down the stairs and it would have hurt badly, but, she didn't know how, she managed not to as she reached the bed. David appeared behind her only seconds later.

On the bed, a very disturbed Henry was breathing heavily, his eyes orbiting out of its sockets. A thread of sweat was covering his forehead.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Yazi asked, trying to calm down her racing heartbeat as she sat down on the bed next to him.

"I-I just had the worst nightmare" he replied, his breathing coming out in brief gasps. Yazi looked down, to see that his hands were shaking.

"Hey, it's okay" she assured patiently "It's over now" David moved behind them, and they watched as he grabbed a matchbox that had been lying on the night table, and turned on a candle on it.

"A candle?" Henry questioned. She could tell the boy was still shaken up, but gradually his heavy breathing was subsiding. She wondered what could be so horrible to alter him that much.

"Yeah, to keep the nightmares away" David explained softly, before kneeling down next to the bed to be at his eye level "Now, talk to us" he added, giving Yazi a brief look and she nodded in agreement "What was so bad?"

"I-I was in this room" he began retelling "And it was red. And there were no doors, no windows...And these curtains" David nodded silently, telling him to continue as Yazi listened attentively "They were on fire" his grandfather caressed his head softly to keep on providing support "And I was in this corner, and…And I was looking out...And there was someone else there" Yazi frowned curiously, as he finished telling his nightmare "And she was staring at me from the flames, and then I woke up and…"

"Don't worry about it" David kept calming him down "It was just a bad dream" he added, and Henry's breathing finally recuperated its regularity.

"I can stay here for a while if you want" Yazi suggested. She was sure the last thing Henry wanted right now was to be alone, she knew what it felt like "I'm not tired anyway" the boy nodded, and David smiled gratefully at her.

"I could make some cocoa for you two" he offered, and both kids nodded. He caressed both their heads one last time, before going off to the kitchen and turning on the lights.

Yazi looked back at her friend, as she tried to figure out what to say to make him feel better. And then it occurred to her.

"I used to have nightmares as well" she admitted, and Henry looked at her curiously, shifting on his bed to a more comfortable position "I didn't dream of burning rooms, but...I dreamt about my parents a lot when they died" it wasn't the same, not at all, but she knew what it felt like to wake up from a nightmare.

It was disorienting, you couldn't quite place where you were and maybe you didn't remember anything about the dream, but you had the feeling of it lingering in your heart long after it was erased from your mind. And if it was a nightmare, it was worse. You woke up in a pool of sweat and maybe tears, everything in your body telling you that you are still in the nightmare, still in danger even though you are not. And it can take a while for you to calm down and realize that you're fine, that you're safe. That it wasn't real.

"And even after I escaped the Enchanted Forest, they still haunted me almost every night. I saw them dying over and over again, and I couldn't do anything to help them. They kept telling me that it was my fault, that I was useless" she knew now that they would never think that, but back then she didn't "I was nailed to my spot, just like I was that same day" the boy looked at her sympathetically, but she wasn't telling him this so he could feel sympathy for her. There was another reason "But then...I met someone who helped me with them. It was one of the many things he did for me" she added with a small chuckle, as she thought of that curly haired boy she had spent so much time with. Henry smiled slightly upon hearing those words "He was the first person I told about…" she took a minute to look for the right word "My guilt. And he was also the first person who told me that it wasn't my fault" and just like that, the nightmares were gone. All she needed was that one person to forgive her, to take the first step of many in the path of loving herself "And he also told me that it was just a nightmare. That it wasn't real, and it would never harm me. Physically, at least"

"He sounds like a great person" the boy finally said, once she was done talking.

"He was" she agreed, and then frowned "I don't know where he is now, or what happened to him after we got separated"

"I'm sure he's fine" he assured "He has to be" she gave him a confused look.

"What does that mean?"

"Well" he began "You are a hero, and if you were friends with him that means he's a hero as well. And heroes always end up okay"

"Then guess what that means" she stated, and the boy gave her a curious look "It means that as my best friend, you are going to be okay as well"

* * *

**A short little scene I got the idea for after remembering that season two episode. Also, you get more information on the mysterious boy Yazi mentioned in the last chapter, I hope you haven't forgotten that. **

**Hope you are enjoying these short scenes, and if you're not, I'm sorry but don't worry, they're done for now. The next chapters will be longer, I promise. **

**Have a nice week!**


	8. The Gift

In the twenty eight years Yazi had been frozen in time, nobody, not even herself, remembered their birthdays. In fact, she didn't have any memory of celebrating birthdays. And even when they happened, they still remained the same, they didn't age. This would be the first year she would celebrate it, and the first year she would actually age. She would become a teenager, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. In her mind, she had become an adult a long time ago. She had to. It was the only way she was going to be able to survive.

She shook her head, trying to get rid of those negative thoughts. The last thing she wanted was negativity that day. It was her birthday, and she was going to enjoy it.

With one look at the alarm clock, she got up and began making her way downstairs. It was 10 AM.

In the lower floor, Mary Margaret was waiting for her. She was surprised to see her there, considering she had recently come back from the forest, she thought she would be exhausted. Nobody else was there.

"Oh, look who's here!" the woman exclaimed happily, and Yazi didn't realize until that moment how much she had missed her optimism.

"Hey, Mary Margaret" she greeted, the woman's enthusiasm immediately bringing a smile to her face. As she reached out from behind the counter, the girl noticed that there was a plate of pancakes and a cup of cocoa already made for her. Her smile widened.

The woman finally found whatever she was looking for, and handed her a package wrapped in a yellow paper, her favourite colour. There was a white bow around it.

"Happy birthday, Yazi" she said, pulling the girl into a hug, which she returned tightly. When they broke apart, the girl sat down on the counter to open the present. It was quite heavy, and so neatly wrapped up that she almost felt bad about having it to tear it open.

Inside, a collector's edition of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland _was waiting for her. She gasped slightly, admiring the cover of it. There were shadows of the characters of the book painted in a very light blue, and the borders were decorated with details of deep blue. It was beautiful.

"When did you have time to get this?" that was the first thing that came to her mind, as she looked up at the woman who was smiling, seemingly pleased with the girl's reaction.

"I got it around a month ago" she replied, and Yazi was amazed. She had gotten her gift with so much anticipation?

"Well, I love it" she replied "Thank you so much" she added, carefully placing it besides her breakfast.

"It's nothing" she stated, shrugging it off "I'm glad you like it"

"I wonder if these stories actually happened" Yazi commented, talking about the book she had just gotten. She was aware of the existence of books that talked about Snow White, and Red Riding Hood, even Beauty & the Beast. She had read them many times, and she had also watched movies when her memories were erased, thinking it was just fiction. Now, all she could think of about those interpretations was how wrong they were. It was funny, to be honest.

I mean, Red Riding Hood being an innocent girl who got lost in the forest and fooled by a wolf? Yeah, right. Ruby could take down whoever she wanted if she put her mind to it. And granny could use a shotgun. That story couldn't be more far off.

"I wouldn't be surprised" she replied, leaning her arms on the counter "But I've never met either one of those people"

"Well, they're in a completely different realm" Yazi said logically, and Mary Margaret nodded in agreement.

"Hey" the woman spoke up after some seconds of silence, making Yazi look at her curiously "I was thinking that maybe later we could go to Granny's, have a small celebration amongst family. What do you think?"

"I'd like that" the girl admitted with a nod, making her smile.

"Great"

* * *

Some hours later, Yazi was staring at herself in the mirror, checking her outfit one last time. She wanted to look nice for this dinner; she hadn't seen Emma, David or Henry all day, they weren't in the house, and it worried her slightly. Especially the latter, she didn't want to sound petty but she was hoping her own best friend would remember her birthday.

"Are you ready?" Mary Margaret's voice came from downstairs.

"Yeah, I'll be right there" she replied, looking into the mirror once more. Her curls were beginning to show up again, until the curse was broken she had straight hair, but now it was returning to its original form. She wondered if those two were connected at all. It was the only explanation she could find as to why they were showing up again out of nowhere. Not that she was complaining; her curly hair was a pain to maintain, but she liked it that way.

Pulling on a smile, she made her way downstairs, where Mary Margaret waited with her bag in hand.

"You look really nice" she admitted, scanning her light green dress, and the girl smiled.

"Thanks" no more words being exchanged, they both began making their way to granny's. Yazi didn't know who would be there, Mary Margaret hadn't specified, she had just said there was going to be a gathering. That could mean anything.

And when she got into the restaurant, she couldn't be more surprised.

"Happy birthday!"

Almost every single habitant of Storybrooke was there, except Regina of course, but she didn't mind that. She'd rather have her as far away from her as possible.

The place had been decorated with pennants of all colours, all across the walls, and a group of them read 'Happy birthday, Yazi'. The jukebox was on and it was playing what sounded like old 80s albums, which she didn't mind at all. All the chairs had been moved to the sides, and several tables had been joined together at the middle to make a larger one, where cakes, biscuits, sandwiches and much more was placed in white dishes. Towards the corner of said table, there were bottles and paper cups.

"What is going on?" that was all she could manage to say. She didn't know what exactly she had been expecting, but it wasn't _this_. Though that didn't mean she didn't like it. Quite the contrary, actually, she was extremely touched that it was happening. It meant a lot, especially since she never really had so many people celebrating her birthday. Back in the enchanted forest, the villagers who knew her always made sure to wish her a good year, but the way of celebrating was with a bigger dinner than normal with her parents. There was never such a massive amount of food in those.

"Your birthday is the first one we celebrate in years" David began explaining, approaching the girl "So we thought it would be a good idea to honor it, and you at the same time. It's a new beginning" the girl smiled upon hearing those very hopeful words "It was a collective idea"

"Congratulations, sister" Leroy stated, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you so much" she said, trying to sound as sincere as possible, which she was. She truly was.

"Everyone, dig in!" Granny announced, and so the celebration began.

* * *

Yazi was sitting at the bar, immersed in an idle chat with Ruby about series they had watched when Granny called her, asking her grandniece to help her refill the sandwiches plate the dwarfs had consumed. As they did that, the blonde looked around to see who had come.

Dr. Whale and Mother Superior in the corner. Mary Margaret, David and Ashley laughing on a table, the blonde holding her newborn baby in her arms. The dwarves drinking to their heart's delight. Belle and even Rumplestiltskin, though she wasn't sure how she felt about the latest. She didn't trust him, not one bit, and especially not after what he did to her in their deal.

Yazi usually didn't have a problem giving people the benefit of the doubt, that was one of the many things her parents had taught her, but with the dark one and the evil queen it was different. They had not only hurt her, but many people around her as well.

Regina claimed she was trying to be better, but Yazi wasn't buying it, not even for a second. She wasn't vengeful, she didn't wish any harm to come to her or anyone, but that didn't mean she was going to trust her. In fact, the less she trusted her, the better. She would not be harmed by her or Rumplestiltskin again. Ever again. And she would not let them harm anyone she cared about either.

And as she thought of the people she cared about, she noticed two of them were missing.

"Hey, Ruby?" she asked the girl, who had just come back from delivering the dishes to the table. The black haired gave her a curious look "Have you seen Henry or Emma?"

"They were here earlier this morning, helping set up the table" she replied, leaning forward on the counter "Afterwards they left, and I haven't seen them ever since"

"I see" she observed, her heart sinking slightly.

"Don't worry" Ruby stated, probably noticing her face "I'm sure they'll be here soon"

"I know" she replied with a nod and a smile, reminding herself she was not going to sulk in her special day.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she felt someone ask besides her, and turned to the side to see Mary Margaret.

"A lot" she admitted "So seems everyone else" she added, looking around "Was this planned beforehand as well?" she asked, because otherwise she wouldn't understand how exactly everything came to be with what had been going on.

"As soon as the curse was broken" admitted the woman with a nod "I remembered your birthday was coming up in a couple weeks, so David and I gathered everyone and we arranged it. It was going to happen even if we didn't return"

"I'm glad you did" Yazi stated, making her smile.

"Me too"

And just then, the front door opened, and in came Emma and Henry. The girl smiled happily, her demeanor lighting up.

"Sorry we're late" Emma apologized, approaching the two of them at the counter "We got caught up in something" she added with a joyful smile, and as Yazi was about to ask what that meant, Henry spoke up.

"I needed to get your gift" he reached out for his backpack and pulled out a small box wrapped in golden paper, with a yellow ribbon.

"Henry, you didn't have to"

"But I did anyway" he stated, handing her the box which she took with a big smile "Go on, open it" he urged, his eyes full of happiness and hope.

And so, she did. She carefully unwrapped the gift, to reveal a red velvet box underneath. It felt smooth as she took off the lid, and when she what was on the inside, she couldn't believe it.

Her eyes found a thin golden chain, with a golden star pendant filled with some diamond dots.

"It's...It's beautiful" she stated, and then frowned "How did you afford this?" from the looks of it, it sure wasn't cheap.

"All my savings, and I had a bit of help from Emma" he explained, as said woman smiled "I thought about buying a regular chain and ask you to turn it into gold, but that would have ruined the surprise" a collective chuckle was heard from the three people there.

"Thank you so much" she stated, carefully leaving the box in the counter and pulling both, Emma and Henry into a hug, which they returned "I love it"

"Henry chose it" the blonde woman commented.

"It's a star, because as the golden child, that's your symbol" Henry explained, sitting in the stool next to her "So you never forget who you are" Yazi smiled, amazed at how much thought she had given to her gift. She would make sure to give his next birthday gift the same amount of consideration, if not more. It's the least she could do.

"Here, do you want me to put it on you?" Emma suggested, reaching out for the box, and Yazi nodded as she turned around to face Mary Margaret who seemed just as touched as herself.

The gold felt cold against her neck, but Emma's warm hands dulled some of it. It didn't feel as heavy as she thought it'd be either, she wondered if that was taken into account when making it.

When she felt the pendant softly hitting her chest, she made a silent promise to cherish that gift forever. She would never take it off. She would guard it with her life and, like Henry said, it would be a reminder, not only of who she was, but of her very own best friend. She would forever remember that he had wasted everything on it, because he considered she deserved it. She couldn't mention a lot of people who had done that for her, who had cared for her so much, but Henry Mills was definitely one of them. And she hoped he would always remain that way.

* * *

Later that day, it was 7 PM and the celebration had been over for quite some hours. Everyone had stayed to help Granny and Ruby clean the place up, before going back to their homes.

Yazi was currently upstairs in her room, reading the book that had started it all. Most specifically, one of the stories of it.

"Hey!" she heard Henry's voice, and she looked up to find him approaching her. She was once again conscious of the pendant that weighed around her neck, and it brought a smile to her face.

"Hey"

"What are you reading?" he asked curiously, sitting besides her and leaning over the book, closer to her shoulder.

"I'm just reminiscing" she explained, as she stared at the smiling faces of her parents in an illustration that showed the three of them having one of her birthday dinners. Candles were lit, placed in a golden candelabra, a ten year old version of herself sitting in the middle spot of the table. That was her last birthday with her family.

"You miss them, don't you?" Henry asked quietly, staring into her green eyes.

"I do" she admitted, closing the book and leaving it besides her before meeting his gaze "But I know they're in a better place now. That's what comforts me"

"They were heroes" the boy stated with a nod "Wherever they are, I'm sure they're watching over you"

"And besides, they're not completely gone" she added, as he gave her a curious look "Remember the birth mark I have on my shoulder?" she asked and Henry nodded.

"It shows that you are the Golden Child"

"Yeah" replied the girl "But mother used to say something else about it" Henry looked at her curiously, eager to hear "She used to say that each tip of the star represented one of my virtues"

She explained this as she moved her hair aside, and lowered the collar of her t-shirt enough to show it to him. She started to touch each tip as she explained what it meant.

"This one represents kindness, this one represents compassion, this one represents fairness, this one love and this one intelligence" she finished with Henry still looking at her "I did the things, but mother and father named them" she started again, letting go of the collar "If I stick to these virtues, it makes me feel closer to them somehow" Henry smiled upon hearing this "It's kind of silly" she stated, shrugging it off.

"No, it's not" he replied, shaking his head "I think it's really sweet" the girl looked at him surprised.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I wish I had something like that. Something to make me feel special" she looked at him sympathetically.

"You _are_ special, Henry. And you don't need a birthmark to show it" he smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I guess" an idea then occurred to her, seeing as he didn't sound so convinced. She smiled and reached out for a marker that had been on the nighttable until then. Henry looked at her curiously as she placed it on his wrist and started to draw a pattern.

"What are you doing?"

"Making you feel special" replied the girl simply. She focused on trying to draw it as perfect as she could.

After some seconds, she finished, satisfied with her job.

"A moon?" Henry questioned, staring at the symbol in his wrist.

"The night sky" she stated simply "I have a star, you have the moon. They compliment each other"

"You're so cheesy" he stated, shaking his head in amusement.

"You gave me a star necklace, and you call me cheesy?" she teased, making him chuckle.

"Fair point" he agreed, with a smile "But thanks"

"My pleasure"

* * *

**That last scene is a scene I wrote a very long time ago, one of the first for this story. I made some slight changes, but the basis is still the same. And Henry's gift will hold much more importance than you think in the future, so don't forget it!**

**So now we move on to some canon episodes of season two, I'm quite excited for those, I hope you are as well! **

**Hopefully I'll see you again on Wednesday. Have a nice week!**


	9. Familiarity

"You were out all night, where were you?" Henry questioned, going down the stairs with Yazi following him, both in their pajamas. As soon as they heard the door open, they knew their family was back. At 8 AM.

What they had been doing, either of them knew. They had been left out of it.

"Granny wouldn't say anything, we were worried about you" the girl added, staring at them. Mary Margaret, David and Emma looked like they had been ran over by train, to put it lightly. Emma especially seemed like she would pass out at any moment.

"Everything's fine, kids" David assured "Cereal?" he added, grabbing some bowls from the shelf as he talked to Emma.

"Yeah"

"Rumpelstiltskin and Hook fought, and someone got hurt" Mary Margaret explained, pouring some coffee into a mug.

"Dr. Frankenstein healed him" Emma added, as the two best friends sat by the counter.

"Doctor?" Henry questioned with a frown.

"Whale, I assume" Yazi stated, making them nod.

"Yeah, but without the neck bolts"

"The monster had the bolts, not the doctor" Henry clarified, and if he hadn't done it, Yazi would have.

"Yeah, but either way, some of us having known him, it's weird…" the blonde stated, giving Mary Margaret an amused glance. Yazi choked on some of her cereal, trying to suppress a laugh. She had almost forgotten about the fact that Mary Margaret and Dr. Whale used to date, or something

"It's not weird" the black haired said firmly "We're past it, we were cursed"

"What are you talking about?" Henry questioned confused.

"Nothing" David stated, placing a bowl of cereal in front of Emma, and when they weren't looking, Yazi she grabbed a napkin, scribbled something and passed it to Henry.

**I'll tell you later**.

He just nodded, and stood up. Yazi followed him with her gaze, until he came back holding the book.

"Frankenstein isn't in here" he announced, sitting back on the stool "It's not even a fairytale, that means he comes from another land with different stories"

"Eat" Emma urged, placing the bowl of cereal on top of his book "I really want to go to bed"

"Wouldn't that mean that the curse hit those lands as well?" Yazi asked curiously, as Emma besides her buried her head in her arms tiredly. The girl felt bad, but it was actually a very interesting theory.

"If it did, then who knows who else could be in this town" Henry added, just as a knock was heard. Emma went over to open it, only for it to open itself, and reveal Mr. Gold on the other side.

"Gold" the woman greeted, as the sorcerer walked inside the loft "We've all had a long night"

"You remember that favour you owe me, Miss Swan?" he asked, completely ignoring her words.

"Yeah" she replied quizzically, as Henry and Yazi exchanged confused glances. What favor?

"I'm cashing it in"

"It's not a good…" she began, as David approached them cautiously.

"You _do_ honor your agreements, don't you?" he interrupted, as Yazi and Henry approached as well, while Mary Margaret remained behind. Emma just sighed "I need to find someone" he began explaining "So we're leaving today, pack your bags"

"Leaving?" Mary Margaret spoke up, finally approaching them.

"Where?" Henry questioned confused.

"Find someone?" Yazi asked, wondering who exactly that could be "Who?"

"My son" he replied, making the girl arch her eyebrows "It has to be today, because every minute I'm here, it's a minute closer to me killing Hook. So it's better if I just leave, and you two" he motioned to Emma and Yazi "Are coming with me"

"Me? Why?" it's not that she didn't want to help, but, to be honest, she didn't trust him.

"My son is far away from this town" he explained, and made a pause "He's in New York, and you, Miss Scarlett, spent quite some time there, so you know how it works" Yazi knew what he was talking about. After walking through that mysterious door, she had ended up in the real world, more specifically, Manhattan. She had no supplies and no money, so she had to do whatever she could to survive. And that included many things she was not proud of, but they were necessary.

So yes, she did know her way around the big city.

"And I could use your knowledge" the girl looked at Mary Margaret quizzically. She _was_ her guardian, afterall, and she knew that she liked Rumpelstiltskin even less than her. And after everything he had done, she couldn't blame her.

"It's your call, Yazi" she stated. Even though the woman was her guardian, she had always, even when they were cursed, allow her to do what she thought was the right thing to do, instead of just telling her.

Yazi reflected for a moment. She didn't like the thought of being around Rumplestiltskin any more than she had to, but at the same time, she did know what it was like to lose your parents. She would give everything to have them back with her; she didn't know what happened to Gold's son, but whoever he was, he might actually feel the same way as her.

And besides, a trip to New York did sound like fun.

"Okay" she nodded, looking back at Rumpelstiltskin.

"How will she cross the town line without being affected by the spell?" asked Emma, while Mary Margaret and David stared at Mr. Gold quizzically.

"Nothing will happen to her" he assured, but Yazi still wasn't sure.

"How do you know?"

"As the Golden Child, you are immune to magical barriers"

"Meaning?" questioned David, making the wizard scowl.

"She can cross the town line and still keep her memories"

* * *

Some hours later, Emma, Yazi and Henry were carrying their last bags to the door. And yes, Henry was coming as well, because Emma didn't want to leave him alone with villains lurking about, and the girl had to agree. Having Henry with her would also make the trip a bit more enjoyable.

"Are you ready, Miss Swan?" Yazi heard Gold ask, as she carried her small bag to the living room.

"Almost"

"Do you think we'll be cold where we're going or warm?" Henry questioned curiously as he came to a stop in front of Emma, his suitcase behind him.

"I think layers are always a good idea" she replied simply, to which he nodded.

"I thought the terms of our agreement were quite clear" Gold began "You and the girl, nobody else"

"And I thought you out of all people who know the importance of names" Yazi shot pointedly, which made him glare, but she wasn't fazed.

"I'm not leaving Henry with Cora lurking about, so either all three of us go, or the three of us stay" she declared, and Gold's gaze showed he knew he was not going to get what he wanted otherwise.

"I guess I'll have to purchase another plane ticket" he stated, giving Henry, who was half-way through putting on his jacket, a glance.

"We're flying?" Emma wondered, and Yazi silently did as well. She thought they were driving, Manhattan wasn't that far away, but if Gold wanted to leave as soon as possible it made sense to leave by plane, the faster way.

"Don't worry, I'm covering expenses, even the new ones" Gold stated firmly, as Mary Margaret helped Henry put his coat on and Yazi placed a light blue scarf around her neck.

"You're a real gentleman, aren't you?" David questioned, lowering down the stairs with Emma's bag in hand. His daughter grabbed it, and as he went to talk with Gold about something, the other three said their goodbyes to Mary Margaret.

"Have a safe flight" she wished, pulling Yazi in for a hug.

"Will do" she stated, burying her head in her neck before breaking apart "Don't miss me too much" she added, to ease some of the tension, which made her chuckle.

"I'll try" she stated with a smile, and her face then faltered slightly, as she sneaked the wizard a glance "And...Be careful around Gold"

"Don't worry" she replied, shaking her head. She had learn the hard way not to trust him.

"Nothing will happen to her with me around" Emma assured from behind, making both of them smile "I promise"

"Thanks, Emma" Mary Margaret stated, pulling her daughter into a hug "You take care as well"

"I will" she stated, and then looked at the blonde girl "Ready, kid?" she questioned, placing a hand on her shoulder, and Yazi nodded in agreement.

"Ready"

* * *

"So you have immunity to barriers" Emma commented from the co-pilot's seat, looking at Yazi in the backseat, next to Henry from the rearview mirror.

"Apparently"

"You didn't know about it before?"

"After I left the forest, I didn't have a lot of encounters with magic" she explained, looking through the window, as the Storybrooke woods rushed by "And even when I did, I never found any barriers" she added "So I had no way of realizing" Emma nodded in understanding, before turning to look at Gold, who was driving on their way to the airport.

"You really think that chal will work?" she questioned, looking at the yellow piece of clothing around his neck. According to him, it was imbued with magic that would make him immune to the memory wipe once they crossed the barrier.

"Well, if it doesn't, and I revert to my cursed self, we're all gonna have some problems" he said lugubriously, and a tense atmosphere set in the car, as Henry and Yazi sunk in their seats "It'll work" he added with a small grin. And Yazi hoped, for their sake, that it was true.

The woods were growing further away, the girl spotted the 'leaving Storybrooke' sign some distance away, and gulped. It wasn't that she didn't believe Rumplestiltskin's words about her immunity, because he had no reason to lie about it.

At least, she hoped he didn't.

But it was still nerve wracking, especially since she was going back to the place that changed her so much.

They finally crossed the town line, and a pulse of blue magic was sent their way, towards Rumplestiltskin, accompanied by a gust of wind.

Silence.

"So?" Emma asked nervously, as the two kids exchanged antsy glances. Yazi perfectly remembered who she was, so that meant Gold had to as well.

Right?

"My name is Rumpelstiltskin" he declared, and Yazi let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding "And we're gonna find my son"

* * *

Yazi, Henry and Emma were sitting on some chairs, waiting for their boarding time as Mr. Gold anxiously paced back and forth.

"Do you wanna go on and see if you make a hole in the floor?" Yazi commented, leaning back on the seat. The man stared at her, clearly not amused, but all she did was grin innocently.

"Do you want something to eat?" Emma questioned, and Yazi could tell she was trying her best not to laugh. She had to admit, it was quite amusing to see the great Rumplestiltskin behaving like a normal human being who had never been on a plane before. It almost made him look innocent, though everyone knew he wasn't.

"No" he stated, continuing his pacing.

"Is something wrong?" the woman asked once again.

"Stop asking me that!" he said sternly, slightly startling her. He sighed "I'll be right back" the three of them watched him leave towards the bathroom, dragging the awkward atmosphere with him.

"So you've been in New York before" Henry spoke up, giving Yazi a curious look, and she could tell Emma seemed interested as well.

"When I left the forest, I walked through a portal and it took me to Manhattan" she began explaining "I only had my clothes and sword with me" she added, gathering her thoughts to figure out how exactly she was going to say what she had to say. They deserved to know, especially her best friend, after everything he had done for her "And nobody was going to give a job to an eleven year old girl, so...I had to resort to other things"

"Like?" Henry asked, and Emma gave her a sympathetic glance. Yazi knew why, if there was someone who understood what that was like, was the savior. The girl took a deep breath.

"I learned a lot when I was staying with Snow White" she replied "About...Ambushes and banditry. So...I used that knowledge to survive" the woman nodded in understanding, and he remained quiet, listening attentively "I'm not proud of it, at all"

"That doesn't make you any less of a hero" her best friend stated "You didn't really have a choice"

"I know, but...It doesn't really make me feel better about it" she was over it now, but from time to time those memories showed up again, like an open wound "If I could take it all back, I would"

"And that's what makes you a good person" Emma spoke up, making the girl look at her curiously "That makes you better than most. Trust me, I know" she smiled, but there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes, thought it was quickly erased "You've made up for it in more ways than you know, so no more feeling guilty about it, okay? You're much more than that" Yazi smiled upon hearing those words, it was the first times that Emma said something like that to her, and it warmed her heart.

"Thanks, Emma" the woman just smiled at her, as the coms announced that their flight was boarding soon.

"I'll go tell Mr. Gold" Henry decided, standing up and going off.

* * *

"It still looks the same" Yazi observed Manhattan, as Mr. Gold, Henry, Emma and her got off a cab, in front of what Gold thought to be his son's place "Except less... menacing" she added, making Emma smile slightly. It was weird, a good weird, but still weird, being there and not having to hide from cops, or run away from vendors, or see wanted posters with her face on them.

Yes, she had gone that far.

She had to admit, when they first landed in Manhattan, she was kinda worried people would still be looking for her in the 21st century, but she quickly realized that it was illogical since twenty eight years had passed since her thieving days. And she only had been there for six months, which wasn't that long for people to remember her. Besides, she tried to be as sneaky as possible. She was always wearing a hood, and the only reason the police got their hands on a picture, was because they asked the only victim who saw her for a description, and a sketcher drew it.

"Is this the right place?" Henry questioned curiously, as they looked up at a grey apartment building.

"Yes, it is" Gold confirmed solemnly.

"Let me guess, he's not expecting you" Emma commented, and his silence confirmed her suspicions "Well, who doesn't love a surprise" she added, as Henry and her began to make their way inside the building.

"I can stay here in case he decides to run away" Yazi suggested, and the woman gave her an amused glance "I used to be a thief, remember? Running away was my specialty"

"Okay, Robin Hood" she stated with a smile "Yell if you see anything"

"Will do"

"Do you think Robin Hood is real as well?" Henry questioned innocently, making both of them chuckle.

"C'mon" Emma said, placing a hand on his shoulder and walking him inside. Yazi looked at Gold, who was quite stiff and seemed like he had seen a ghost.

"Well?" she demanded "You came all the way here, there's no turning back now"

"I'm not" he stated firmly, giving the building one lasting look before finally going inside.

While they were doing that, Yazi looked around. Manhattan was as busy as ever, people coming and going, maybe to their jobs, maybe to appointments or just for some food. The building was in a nice zone, full of restaurants and shops, certainly a good place to pass by unnoticed. She didn't remember being in that neighbourhood specifically, and she knew many of them, since she made sure to never stay in a same place for too long. In ambushes, you stayed in the same place because you wanted to find someone, but that also made you an easy target. Anyone could spot you, and what Yazi most wanted was to be invisible, and not end up in juvie. So every week or so she would move locations, finding shelter in an alley or somewhere with a roof if it was raining, though there were some occasions in which she stayed in open air even if there was a storm, since she hadn't found anywhere to go. Those days were the worst. The first few times she ended up really sick, but after two months or so she became more resistant to them. And she also got better at finding shelter.

As she reminisced about all those memories, she heard the sound of a metal door opening, and when she looked to her left she spotted a hooded figure going down the stairs on the side of the building. She wondered if that was the famous son they were looking for, and when she looked inside the building, she noticed Emma, Henry and Gold walking towards the entrance with hurried expressions, and she didn't need to be told twice what to do.

She ran.

"Yazi!" she heard Emma call, but she didn't stop, she didn't want to lose sight of the escapee. She hoped she hadn't lost her stamina, because she was sure she would need it for the next twenty seconds.

She went down the street, trying not to slip on the wet ground, product of a recent storm. Thankfully, she was wearing sneakers. People stepped aside when they saw her coming their way, she was sure she bumped into a few, but there was no time for apologies. She passed by, at least, three green traffic lights, right through the middle of the streets, but she would have barely noticed if it wasn't because of all the honks directed at her. She watched the runaway jumped over some metal poles chained together, and she did the same, always keeping her gaze up.

He went through a gallery, pushing a poor man out of his way, and Yazi felt tempted to stop and check on him, but she couldn't. The other man went left, but there was a path right ahead of her that would most certainly lead her in the same direction. So she went that way. There was an empty stand full of kids' toys as she rounded a corner, and on it there was an opened box with some marbles. She grabbed a bunch as she rushed by.

She got out of the alley and rolled the marbles through the stone floor, towards the street, just as the stranger passed, making him slip down. Yazi rushed towards him before he could escape; she could finally catch her breath, and take a good look at the guy.

But before she could say anything, he spoke up.

"Yazi?"

* * *

**Ooh, so they know each other. But how?**

**And don't worry, you will get to read about one of Yazi's adventures in New York, probably in the next chapter. I think the following one will be the last one for season two, or maybe the one after that, and then we move on to 3A which I'm super excited about. **

**I can't promise the next chapter will be up on Sunday, because I have exams all week this week, but I'll do my best. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	10. Fueling The Fire

Yazi frowned, cautiously taking some steps back.

"How do you know my name?" she searched his face for any signs that would allow her to recognize the man, maybe she stole something from him in her thieving days? But she quickly dismissed that idea, she would recognize someone like that, her guilt was not going to allow her to forget about those she hurt so easily.

But then, how did he know who she was?

"It's-It's Baelfire" he replied, and her eyes opened wide, her eyebrows arched. He was grown up, taller and older, but his brown eyes remained the same as when he was a kid.

"Oh my god, Bae!" she exclaimed, reaching out to hug him. He had to bend down a lot to do so, but his warmth was the same as she remembered "What are you doing here?" she questioned excited, once they broke apart.

"I-I live here now" he explained, which made her frown.

"But how did you get out?" the place they had been in wasn't exactly easy to escape. To be honest, she wasn't even entirely sure how she could.

"I managed to fool it, and earn a ride back home" he replied, and Yazi knew what 'it' was.

"Smart" she commented, making him smile.

"Yazi!" they heard a voice behind them, and turned around to find Emma, finally catching up. She looked relieved to see the girl, but when she spotted Baelfire her eyes opened wide, almost in horror.

"Neal?" Yazi furrowed her eyebrows. 'Neal?' Since when?

"Emma" the man replied, almost in a whisper, which confused her even more.

"You know each other?" the girl managed to ask, cutting her gaze between the two of them.

"It's-it's complicated" he explained. Yazi took notice of the awkward atmosphere that had set, as Emma looked to the side uncomfortably and Bae rubbed the back of his neck nervously. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out what was going on.

"Oh" that was all she could manage to say, and then she realized something. Something she didn't know how to feel about "Wait a second" she spoke up, looking at him once again "If you're here...And you were trying to run away from us...That means you are Rumplestiltskin's son!" his eyes opened wide upon hearing that.

"He's here?" he questioned in disbelief.

"It's why we came" Yazi explained, motioning to Emma and her "You didn't tell me that your father was the dark one"

"I didn't want anyone to know"

"You know each other" Emma concluded.

"We were friends when we were kids" the girl explained, and then tilted her head to the side "When he was a kid"

"So you knew" the woman realized sternly, looking at Bae with fire in her eyes "You knew who I was and where I was from the whole time" he didn't answer, and that was enough confirmation "What was it? Part of some sickening plan?" she added, a bit more angry this time "Did you-did you even care about me at all?" she demanded, while Yazi remained quietly on the sidelines, not really knowing what to say or do in regards to the situation.

"Emma…" Neal began calling for her, almost pleadingly.

"Yazi, go back" she ordered, ignoring him.

"But…"

"You're under my care, and I'm not going to argue with you about this" she cut her off sternly "Go back now" she added, more firmly. And the girl knew she had no choice, so she gave her old friend one last glance, wondering if she would ever see him again afterwards, before going off.

* * *

All the way back to Bae's apartment, Yazi was immersed deep in her thoughts. First, she knew it was none of her business, but she had to admit she was a bit was curious about what exactly Emma and Bae had been through, although she wasn't going to ask about it, 'cause that would be weird.

Second, she thought about what exactly she'd say to Henry and Rumpelstiltskin. Especially to the latest, since she remembered perfectly well how Bae felt about him and his world. He didn't want anything to do with it or him, at all. In fact, if she was sure of anything, she was sure that the reason he decided to live in New York was to avoid exactly that. And she would be a terrible friend if she brought him back into it, contrary to the reason why she had come in that trip in the first place.

She just hoped the dark one wouldn't see through her. He wouldn't be able to hurt her in the land without magic, at least she hoped so, but part of her still got nervous every time she was around him. And she was sure she wasn't the only one. He had that effect on people. She knew better than to underestimate him.

"Yazi!" Henry's voices pulled her out of her thoughts, and when she looked up she found she had arrived to the apartment building. Henry was sitting there against a wall, eating a hot dog that Gold, who was sitting besides him, had probably bought him.

"Did you find him? Did you find my son?" the man questioned sternly, standing up. His eyes held a hint of hope, but she wasn't going to budge.

"I wasn't fast enough" she replied, shaking her head and his demeanor faltered "Emma sent me back, and said she would ask around" she added, and Henry nodded in agreement, which made her feel slightly guilty. But she could not say anything in Rumpelstiltskin's presence, even if it was in secret, since she was sure he would not let anything suspicious pass by. She had to wait for the right time, since she hated lying to her best friend.

Several minutes after Yazi arrived to the building, Emma did.

"Hey" she said softly, and stole a glance at the golden child. The girl could see in her face she was trying to figure out what happened when she was gone, whether she had told the truth or not.

"Did you find him?" the girl asked, indirectly answering her silent question. She saw the woman smile slightly, almost in relief.

"I'm sorry, your son got away" she stated remorsefully. Yazi looked at Gold, and saw several different emotions sliding through his eyes. Desperation, disbelief, confusion, sadness. It almost made her feel bad, almost. It would take a lot more than that for her to feel any sympathy for the dark one.

And suddenly, he turned around, his eyes fiery and began pressing, almost punching, every single button in the panel of the building. She wasn't sure how many people were actually in the building considering it was business hours, but there had to be someone, and she felt very bad for whoever it was.

"Gold, what are you doing?" Emma questioned in confusion, just as the buzzer ringed, and allowed him to open the gate leading to the rest of the building.

"Finding my son" he replied sternly.

"He's gone" Yazi and Emma stated at the same time, which resulted in a weird exchange of glances before looking back at him.

"But he lives here" Rumplestiltskin continued stubbornly "He'll be back, and I'll be waiting" he added, before going up the stairs. Yazi sighed, following him, the other two behind.

"You can't just break in" Emma tried to talk him out of it, but Yazi knew it was probably not going to work.

"Well, actually, that's something I'm quite adept at" he replied nonchalantly, looking around to find the apartment, before spotting it besides them.

"We don't even know if he'll be back" the girl chimed in, trying to convince herself more than anything. She'd feel terrible if that wasn't the case, especially since Bae had repeatedly told her he hated his father. And she had dragged him right back into his life. She felt awful.

"Finding people is what you do, Miss Swan" Gold stated, ignoring her words as he forced open the lock on the door with a lockpick. Yazi wondered if he had that on him all this time "I'm simply going to assist you, there might be information here. Who he is, what he does, who he loves"

"Don't do this" Emma pleaded "There are things called laws, you could get arrested"

"Then my son will have to testify against me, and we'll be reunited" he said with a deadpan face, and Yazi raised an eyebrow, wondering if he actually meant that. She didn't think he didn't, he seemed pretty desperate, and there's no stopping a desperate soul.

The lock finally clicked, and the door opened. Gold walked inside without a hint of doubt, and Yazi braced herself for what she would find, before following them inside.

The apartment was a studio apartment, there was the kitchen section on her left and a made bed on the corner of the room. A desk was placed in front of the window, and when Yazi looked down she realized that was how he managed to escape. There was a small balcony, with several stairs connecting all the apartments in the building. There was a phonograph and several vinyl records piled up on some shelves, along with books close to the door. There was a single separate space, the bathroom. Everything else was confined into the same small space, but it was quite organized.

"I don't think we should be here" Yazi spoke up. It was wrong, they were invading someone else's privacy unbeknownst to them. There were probably many things there that Bae didn't want anyone to see.

"I don't think he's listening" Henry said, and he was right. Gold just kept walking ahead, looking around and the several posters hanging from the walls. And soon enough, Henry began doing the same. Yazi couldn't help smiling in amusement.

Maybe this could be her chance to talk to him.

Looking around, she spotted Gold still looking around, and Emma gazing uncomfortably at the room.

"You know, the laws apply to you too" she joked, approaching Henry who was opening some lockers, in search of who knows what.

"There has to be something that can help Gold" he explained, looking at her, and she just bit her lip. She looked around once more, nobody was looking at them, before leaning closer to her friend, just in case.

"Maybe he doesn't want to be found" she said, almost in a whisper, and Henry looked at her with a frown. She gave him a glance, trying to silently convey why she said something like that. He tilted his head to the side, but before he could say anything, Gold spoke up.

"Find anything, dearie?" he questioned, and when the two kids turned to look at him, they saw Emma holding the dreamcatcher that had been hanging from the window until then.

"No" she replied "Just a dreamcatcher" Yazi frowned, trying to read her expression. She seemed dumbfounded, and even a little melancholic. The dreamcatcher definitely meant more than what she pretended.

"If it's nothing, then why are you still holding it?" Emma didn't know what to answer to that, and that was enough. Gold's eyes opened wide "You're lying to me"

"Let's get back to looking, okay?" she replied, putting the object back in its place and ignoring his words, but not denying them either.

"No, no, no, you saw something, tell me"

"You are being delusional" Yazi spoke up, trying to shift the focus of the conversation.

"Tell me!" he demanded, and she flinched slightly.

"Henry, Yazi, wait in the bathroom" the woman indicated.

"No, no, the girl stays here, you are both hiding something from me"

"I can help" the boy argued.

"Henry, go!" Emma snapped, and Yazi could see a look of hurt in Henry's eyes as he did as told. She wanted to go after him, but she knew Gold was not going to let her "There's nothing here, the guy's a ghost"

"You take me a fool?" Gold asked, both his hands lying on the upper part of his cane. Somehow, he looked even creepier that way "You are both holding back, I wanna know what and why"

"We're not" Emma argued.

"Did he tell you something?"

"Gold…"

"Did he tell you something?!" Yazi pressed her lips together, jaw clenched, doing her hardest to hold back her anger. Who did he think he was to yell at them like that?

Unfortunately, Rumplestiltskin noticed that gesture.

"You" he said venomously, approaching her but she didn't back away "You know something, you talked to him"

"I don't-"

"_Tell me!_"

"Leave Yazi out of this, Gold, she's just a child!" Emma stood up for the girl, whose patience was draining.

"Capable of more things than you can imagine" Gold stated, almost demeaning her, which didn't do anything to ease her boiling rage "You're smart, you managed to fool me all this time, but that is over. You know something, Miss Scarlett, and you are going to tell me what"

"I don't have to tell you anything"

"So you did talk to him"

"Don't put words in her mouth"

"Tell me what it is!" he demanded, ignoring Emma's words and looking straight at the girl "Tell me, or I'm gonna make you tell me" he added through clenched teeth.

"Really? How are you gonna do that?" Yazi questioned, knowing full well she was probably digging her own grave "You have no magic here, and without it, you have no power"

"I don't need magic" he hissed, approaching her.

"Stay away from her, Gold" Emma stated, standing in front of the girl protectively.

"Do not push me"

"Don't push me!"

"If you take a closer look at yourself, I think you'd realize why your son doesn't want to see you" Yazi spoke up, only adding more fuel to the fire. The logical part of her brain was telling her to shut up, but it was faded out the more the dark one kept pushing.

"You did lie to me"

"And you tossed your son to a unknown world because you didn't want to give up your power, so who's the true criminal here?"

"We had a deal! A deal!" he screamed, violently pushing a stool to the floor. Emma turned around to wrap her arms around Yazi, trying to keep her as far away from Gold as possible, who was out of his mind "No one, no one, breaks a deal with me!" he roared.

"HEY!"

* * *

**We all know who that is, but this chapter was getting longer than I originally intended to so I cut off the flashback parts, which will appear in the last chapter of season two. Only two chapter left, and then we move on to season three. **

**Also, Yazi standing up to Gold, thoughts on that? I know so far you haven't seen her doing much of that, but it was because she didn't have a reason to. Now, with Neal in the picture, she does. You will see more of that in 3A, and also how the friendship with Neal came to be. I'm quite excited for that; no spoilers, but there's a scene that might seem meaningless at first, when it will actually be the foreshadowing of many things to come, so be on the lookout for that. It will happen in a flashback scene, that's all I can tell you. **

**Thanks for sticking with this story even if I haven't uploaded so often, but luckily I'm almost done with exams and hopefully the uploads will be right back on schedule.**

**See you soon!**


	11. Bonding

"Bae" Gold breathed out, a smile that was a complete contrast to what he had been doing merely ten seconds ago. His son just nodded silently, his eyes guarded "You came back for me"

"No" he replied, shaking his head and taking him by surprise "I came to make sure you didn't hurt them" he added, motioning to the two people in the corner of the room. Emma still had her arms wrapped around Yazi "I've seen what you do to the people who break deals"

"Please, Bae, just let me talk"

"I have no interest in talking to you, go" he motioned to the door, avoiding eye contact with him.

"I'm not going anywhere" the man replied, shaking his head, and Yazi could only get even more annoyed than before due to his stubbornness. But Emma's embrace was calming her down to some extent.

"Get out of my apartment!"

"Are you okay?" Emma looked at the girl she was holding, who nodded in assurance. The woman smiled slightly, before breaking away and looking at Bae "Neal…"

"Emma, I got this" the both of them exchanged glances, and the atmosphere was so dense Yazi was sure she could slice it with a knife. Gold cut his gaze between the two of them, trying to figure out what was going on, and he quickly did.

"You two know each other" nobody answered "You two know each other, how?"

"You sent me chasing after him!" Emma indicated sternly.

"No, no, no, stop it!" Gold exclaimed "You're lying. How do you two know each other?!"

"Mom, what's going on?" they heard Henry's voice, and they turned to look at him, to find that he had left the bathroom and was probably so confused as to what was going on.

Emma brought him close to her, and fixed the neck of his coat, before squatting down to be at his eye level.

"Who's this?" Neal questioned in a whisper.

"My son" she replied, giving him a quick glance before looking back at Henry.

"What?"

"Is that Baelfire?" the boy questioned, giving the other man a curious glance.

"I need you to stay with Yazi in the other room for a little while, okay?" Emma said softly, giving the girl a concerned glance "Please?" the girl just nodded in understanding, since, to be honest, she didn't feel like being in that place any longer.

"How old are you?" Neal questioned, as the two friends walked towards the bathroom.

"Don't answer" the woman indicated.

"How old are you, kid?!"

"Thirteen!" he cried, turning around "Now, why is everyone yelling?!"

"He's thirteen" Neal breathed out, looking at Emma for answers, but she didn't say anything.

"Mom?" Henry asked confused, and Yazi at this point was as well. What started out as a fun trip to Manhattan with her best friend to find a missing kid, turned out to be a cluster mess of screams, lies and very stupid decisions. Yazi had half of the credit for those.

"Is this my son?" Neal questioned, and the girl arched her eyebrows in surprise.

"No" the boy stated, shaking his head "My dad was a fireman, he-he died" he added, as Yazi saw Emma approaching Henry with a look of utter guilt plastered in her face "That's what you told me" Emma didn't answer "You said…" he left his words in the air, and the girl's heart sunk as realization hit. Neal gulped nervously. The mess was just getting bigger and bigger.

"Is this my son?" the woman placed her hands on Henry's cheeks, caressing them softly. There was a pause.

"Yes"

* * *

"You okay?" Yazi asked worriedly, going out the window, to find Henry sitting on the stairs of the balcony. Emma had just gotten back from talking to him, and by the looks of it, it didn't go well.

"She lied to me" he replied bitterly, making her look at him sympathetically "She's just like Regina, all they do is lie" those were very harsh words, and Yazi wasn't entirely sure he actually believed them; it was a polemic comparison, but she could also understand he was probably very hurt by the situation. Like anyone would be, it was natural. In fact, it would be weird if it wasn't that way.

But there was another thought roaming in her mind at the moment. It wasn't Bae...Neal, she should probably start calling him that.

It wasn't that Neal, her old friend, was Henry's father, or that he was the dark one's son, or that Rumpelstiltskin was her best friend's grandfather (Which was a very disturbing thought she didn't want to think about again).

It was the fact that she had hidden something as well, and she didn't know what her best friend might think. But after the disappointment he felt, she thought he deserved some sort of truth.

"I did too" she spoke up, and he looked at her with a frown "When I said I wasn't fast enough to catch him, I was"

"Did you talk to him?" the boy asked, and so far he didn't look upset, or maybe she just wanted to believe that.

"I did, but that's not it" she stated, shaking her head "I...I met him before the dark curse" he gave her a curious look "We were...Friends. And one day, he told me his father had abandoned him for power"

"Mr. Gold"

"Yeah" she nodded in agreement "He didn't want anything do with him or magic. He didn't want to see him ever again, he hated him" she made a pause, and when Henry didn't say anything, she kept going "When I agreed to come on this trip, I didn't know he was Rumplestiltskin's son. If I had, I would have never done it. I didn't want to drag him back into this, especially after how hard he tried to forget it"

"So that's why you hid it?" Henry asked, and he didn't sound angry, like she thought he would.

"I wanted to tell you, but Gold was always lurking around, so I had to be cautious"

"You wanted to help my dad, I understand" he commented with a smile, and it was so weird to hear him call Neal that, but she would probably have to get used to it "That's not selfish, you could never be" the girl smiled, her heart full with his compliment, but she knew it wasn't entirely true. She had been selfish, multiple times before, especially when she first came to the land without magic, she just chose not to elaborate on it.

Both of them were quiet for a moment, the only noise they could hear was the cars down below.

"You know Emma loves you, right?" she asked quietly.

"But she still lied"

"I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you" she replied softly, and when Henry didn't answer she took it as a closure on the topic "Look on the bright side, at least now you know who your dad is" his smile came back, which made her smile as well.

He finally knew all about his family, the thing he longed the most for his entire life; even if the circumstances weren't the best, at least he knew the truth. That's what mattered.

* * *

Yazi looked around the pizza place as Neal and her waited for their small pizza to be delivered to them. People were sitting at some of the tables chatting lively, and the smell of freshly baked crust filled the air, it almost made her mouth water. She remembered perfectly well what it tasted like, despite not being there in a very long time.

She looked back at Neal, who was also gazing around, probably trying to spot Henry walking around the place. Yazi forgot for a minute that the only time he had left Storybrooke was to find Emma in Boston, so he was probably very curious about the things New York offered, and with good reason.

She reflected for a moment; she had been waiting to talk to Neal about everything that had happened privately, and now that they were alone it could be her chance.

"I'm sorry" she finally admitted, loud enough so he could hear her over the noise. And she accomplished it, because it made him give her a curious look.

"What for?" he questioned, shifting on his spot against the counter to face her.

"You didn't want to see your father ever again, and I just dragged him right back into your life" she replied remorsefully "I feel awful"

"Don't be" he stated, shaking his head in assurance as he placed his hands inside his jean pockets "You didn't know it was him" she knew that, but it still didn't feel right. And if there was one thing she knew about Rumplestiltskin, is that he never gave up until he got what he wanted, even if it went against everyone's wishes. And in this case, what he wanted was to mend the relationship with his son, a relationship that was destroyed because of him in the first place. And it didn't seem like her old friend was willing to give him a second chance, which she couldn't argue against. If it had been anyone else, then she would consider it, but not with him "And besides, it's not that bad. I got to see you again" she smiled slightly.

"And Emma" she added, and the look he gave her was priceless. He seemed awkward, but slightly concerned at the same time "Don't look at me like that" she replied, feeling slightly awkward herself but doing her best to hide it as she looked to the side, towards two girls playing with some dolls in one of the tables "I'm fine" she added, and she wasn't lying "We met over thirty years ago, remember?" she stated, meeting his gaze once again "I'm glad you moved on" he looked at her gratefully "Besides" she folded her arms "You're 300 years older than me, it would've never worked" she heard him chuckle, which brought a smile to her face.

"That's funny coming from you" he commented, and she arched her eyebrows in a challenging manner.

"What does that mean?"

"Aren't you like, forty?"

"A lady never reveals her age" she replied mysteriously "And for your information, I don't look a day over thirteen" she added jokingly, and he shook his head in amusement, which made her smile.

When Henry first invited her to come with his father to grab some pizza, she wasn't entirely convinced. She thought it'd be uncomfortable, and that she would be intruding in their bonding, which was very much something they needed to do. But standing here with Neal, joking like they used to do when they first met, it didn't really feel wrong. A lot of things had changed, obviously, but she was glad to see that their friendship remained the same even after all those years. She had missed it, she just hoped he had as well.

"This place is huge!" they heard Henry's voice beside them, and they turned to look at his lit up face. Yazi was glad he didn't seem as upset as he did before, Neal probably had something to do with that. He was quite good at cheering people up, he did it for her many times before.

"And you haven't seen the best of it" his father commented, as he took the box one of the employees handed him behind the counter "Thank you" he stated, as the three began to walk back to Mr. Gold and Emma, who had been waiting outside.

"The museum is still here, right?" Yazi suddenly wondered, as Neal as he handed the two of them a slice of pizza each.

"If it was taken down, people would revolt" Neal replied, as he took a bite of his own slice.

"Maybe we could show it to Henry" she suggested, before looking at her best friend "What do you think?" there were very few people their age interested in museums, but with Henry's curiosity she was sure he would love to see it.

Besides, she wanted to see it as well. She didn't know how long they would be in New York, but she wanted to do as much as she possibly could before leaving, especially since she didn't know whether she'd ever come back.

"Sure!" he replied excitedly, making her smile.

"Great"


	12. Only The Beginning

**Before beginning to read, I want to warn you Yazi is doing a thing in this chapter that might make you dislike her slightly, but try to remember where she is and what has happened to her before judging her. **

**Now, yeah, enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_Twelve year old Yazi looked through the window displaying some dresses, pretending to be interested in their golden details and sparkles that were probably as expensive as Snow White's jewelry. And definitely more expensive than the jeans and hoodie she had stolen from the shop across the street. _

_Inside the store, several female customers were strolling around, employees were taking measurements to make clothes, and eight people were queuing in front of the single counter. Yazi could hear the music playing inside the building from her spot outside. She had been there for a while now, so she knew what type of music the people of the land without magic listened to, and the one playing in the store was not pleasant. In fact, it was kind of annoying. It was drilling her head, and all she wanted was to get as far away as possible, but she couldn't. She needed this. _

_She spotted one of the customers in the queue walking towards the exit door, a white bag in her hand as she tried to place the receipt of whatever she had bought in her wallet. Yazi had been waiting for something like that, she had learned after two months of the six that had passed since she arrived through the portal, that many of the people in Manhattan never really payed attention to where they were going. They were constantly looking down to their screens, probably discussing business or something else entirely, or talking on the phone, in yells most of the time. That distraction was the perfect excuse. _

_She walked closer to the door, her back against the window, being very careful not to lean fully on it, because if she was going to get into trouble, it was not going to be because of breaking it. _

_As soon as the door opened, she stuck her foot out and tripped the woman, before going back to calmly watching the window, until the victim hit the floor. Scanning the area, she noticed everyone was giving the woman confused looks, but she was invisible. _

"_Are you alright?" she questioned worriedly, and it wasn't a total lie, as she approached her._

"_Yeah, yeah" she replied, shrugging it off as she checked the inside of her bag. Yazi casted a glance to it, to find that the white sparkling dress was intact. No wallet "I don't know what happened to me" she added with a small chuckle, as the girl spotted her red purse lying on the cold floor. She scanned the woman quickly, and managed to see the leather wallet sticking out from her coat pocket. _

"_You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" the girl asked once again, sticking her hand out to help her up. The woman grabbed it with a smile, and as she got up, Yazi reached her free hand to her coat and in one swift move, took out the wallet._

"_I don't think so" she added, as she shook some dirt off her brown and very expensive coat. Yazi placed the wallet in the pocket of her hoodie, before squatting down to grab the purse and hand it to her "Thank you so much"_

"_No problem" she replied with an innocent smile "But do try to be careful next time"_

"_I will" she replied with a chuckle, before walking away. Yazi did the same on the opposite direction, counting in her head how many minutes it would take her to reach the other block before the woman realized her wallet was gone. About five minutes she reckoned, if she was fast enough. _

_But before running, she turned right on an alley, hidden from view, and opened the wallet she had just gotten._

_It was neatly organized, and it didn't take long for her to find the dollar bills. There were quite a few, along with some cards she assumed were credit or debit, her ID and a business card. Apparently, she worked at a cosmetics company. No wonder she was in that luxury bougie store, she had more than enough earnings to spend them on dresses of that caliber. _

_She placed the bills and some coins in her jeans pocket, before looking at the ID, in search of an address or anything that could link her to the woman. She wasn't going to toss the rest of the documents in the middle of the street, anyone could find them that way. She needed to get them back to the rightful owner._

* * *

_She was much more time in the post office than she wanted to, which wasn't a surprise considering she was a twelve year old girl wanting to send back a wallet. She didn't know what proved to be more confusing for the lady assisting her, the fact that she was a twelve year old girl in a post office or the fact that she was looking to send back a wallet, when any other person in her situation would just keep it to themselves._

_Yazi didn't have any use for the other things. Except the ID, in case she would need to pretend to be someone else, but that's why she wrote down all the details she could gather from it, including the address. So far, everytime she did something like this, she had been lucky enough that nobody asked to see physical proof, just her words were enough. She didn't know whether to consider that dumb or kind, but she wasn't going to question it either. _

_After some back and forth, she finally managed to send the wallet back to its owner, and while that didn't ease the guilt in her heart, at least she tried. She always did. _

_She was a thief, and there was no denying it, but that didn't mean she would suddenly turn into a cold, rude and violent jerk towards people just because. It was a rarity, but if it happened, she would definitely have a reason to. _

_She only targeted the people with fat bank accounts, anyway, those who wouldn't mind having a few bills stolen from them, since they probably had three safes filled with more. She stayed away from the others. That didn't make her a bad person._

_Right?_

_Besides, she didn't have a choice. It was her only way of surviving in the wild._

_Was it though?_

_Nobody was going to give her a job, and it wasn't like she could just walk into an orphanage and ask the people to take her in. She had no papers, no real identity in this world. Just a whole lot of IDs and a huge collection of lies. She couldn't do anything else._

_But it still felt wrong. _

_Of course, there was nobody to blame for it but herself. She was the one who decided to walk through that door in the first place, without any knowledge of what she would find, and now she was dealing with the consequences of her choice. She wondered if she would ever be able to get back home. She missed the peace and quiet of the woods, nature. She missed Snow, and the dwarves. Her parents. She had gotten used to the land without magic, but it wasn't a home._

_Did she even have one?_

_Voices pulled her out of her thoughts, and when she looked up she found she had arrived to Central Park. It was a nice day out, so many people were strolling through it, friends were laughing and families were eating together. Lovers were canoeing, while splashing each other playfully. It brought a smile to Yazi's face._

_It had been four hours since she had stolen that wallet, and she was surprised nobody had come chasing after her. It was reassuring, but unsettling at the same time. Anyone could just appear out of nowhere and she would have to run once again until she found an alley she could hide in, or a store she could get in with enough time so the cops wouldn't notice her. _

_She sighed. She was tired of living like that. _

_She looked up to find the Bethesda Fountain standing in front of her, several people sitting around it. She spotted a free spot next to a man reading, and she took it, carefully so as not to bother him. The water was clear, and a few fresh droplets landed on her face softly from time to time. The sound of the streaming water relaxed her, and momentarily made her forget about all her problems. _

_She saw a soft shine out of the corner of her eye, and when she looked down at the pond she found it was because of the sun reflecting on some silver coins. And there were a lot more, scattered underneath the water. She remembered reading once that some fountains contained magical properties, and people could toss coins inside and make a wish, hoping for it to come true. She didn't know that also existed in the land without magic, though she doubted it was given the meaning it was supposed to have. These people didn't believe on such things. _

_Reaching for her pocket, she felt around until her fingers grazed a cold solid object, and she took it out. _

_It was a quarter she had found on the ground as she walked away from the post office. She didn't know what she could buy with it, but she had kept it anyway. And now she could use it._

_The people of New York might not believe in magic, but she did. She could turn things into gold, it would be stupid not to, even if she didn't have that ability in that mysterious land. _

_She held the coin tightly in her hand, before closing her eyes and wishing for something._

_**For something more.**_

* * *

"I'm going too" Yazi declared as David, Emma, Mary Margaret, Regina, Gold and Belle stood before Hook and the Jolly Roger.

After Emma and Regina joined forces to detonate the trigger meant to destroy Storybrooke, and, therefore, the magic within it, they noticed that Henry was nowhere to be found. The only two people who could possibly take him were Greg and Tamara, the question Yazi was trying to find an answer to was why. Why would they need Henry, when apparently their only purpose in coming to Storybrooke was to destroy magic? Who they were working for, none of them knew. They never said. In fact, Yazi was actually doubting _they_ even knew who it was.

It didn't take long to find them, they were in the docks. Henry was being held captive between the two of them, and a green portal was opening up in the ocean underneath. All of them tried to catch up, but it closed fast.

For a moment there was desperation and sadness, until they spotted Hook's ship sailing towards them in the distance, and with it the actual last bean he had taken to escape, but changed his mind at the last minute. He offered his ship and services, quote and quote, so they had a way, all they needed was their destination. And Gold, apparently, had a way of finding that out.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Yazi" Mary Margaret commented, making her frown "We don't know where we're heading, and it could be dangerous for you"

"It will be dangerous either way" she argued "I know you're worried about me, but I've been through enough to be able to take care of myself" she added, trying to get through her, and it seemed it was working. She was never hard to convince "Besides, Henry's my best friend. I'm not going to stay here while he's off to an unknown dimension" she stated firmly, looking at all the others, who seemed to be moved by her words "If you leave me here, I'll find a way to go by myself, and most of you know I'm capable of that"

Nobody seemed to find an argument against that, and that's how they all ended up on board the Jolly Roger.

"So, are you done trying to kill me?" Rumplestiltskin questioned, almost in a challenging manner to Hook, to the surprise of absolutely no one, since everyone knew they had a rocky, _very rocky_, past.

"I believe so" the pirate replied sternly.

"Excellent!" the dark one exclaimed, almost mockingly "Then you can live" Yazi couldn't help rolling her eyes upon hearing that, as Gold did a motion with his hand and a blank globe, with a sharp tip above it appeared. The girl frowned, wondering what it would do as Gold placed his index finger on the tip, drawing some droplets of blood that fell onto the globe. The blood materialized into mere red smoke as it began exploring the surface.

"Where's that?" Regina questioned, leaning close to the globe once it seemed to find the destination "Where have they taken Henry?" Yazi opened her eyes wide as she looked at the map, realization hitting her.

"Neverland"

**She should have known.**

* * *

_Yazi was woken up by a sudden noise. _

_She sat straight in the bench she had been sleeping on until then, and looked around. There was no one in the park, she reckoned it was about 3 AM. There were people passing by, but they were very far away for her to hear them. That wasn't it._

_She felt a presence rushing by, and suddenly the night felt colder, despite being the middle of Spring. But there was no one around. She looked up to the clear sky, maybe a bird had passed her by, but she quickly shook that thought away, birds didn't fly in the middle of the night. _

_She got up, rubbed the traces of sleep off her eyes, and began walking around. She was still a tad sleepy, but living in the streets had proved that she always needed to be alert, and now that she was awake, it would be very hard for her eyes to close again. _

_She had also learned that when she wanted to find a place to sleep, she should probably look for one isolated and quiet, where nobody would think to look, since she had more than a few runnings with some very unpleasant people. Thankfully, she was physically adept enough to find a way to escape before things got worse, but she knew she didn't want to repeat any of those experiences._

_The park she was in was quite big, which made it harder for anyone to find anyone, and that's exactly why she was there. There were also several trees that made it easy for her to camouflage and hide until 7 or 8 AM, when she would begin looking for a place to buy breakfast, or somewhere to get money if she had ran out. She only used it for food, and when she needed a change of clothes...Well, posts scattered across the streets were very popular amongst tourists, and almost always they were placed in a busy area, where she could easily blend in and avoid attention. _

_She didn't realize her thoughts had been flying through her mind and her eyes wandering through the stars, until she saw a black figure flying across the roofs of some buildings. She opened her eyes wide, and hurried her pace to catch up to it. She didn't know what it was, but she felt it was calling for her. She wasn't going to scream because that would definitely call the attention, and she was thankful there wasn't anyone around to see her, because that would also be a problem. _

_The figure turned to look at her, and hurried its pace. Buildings and traffic lights flew by as she did the same, desperately wanting to catch up to whatever that was. She spotted it turning right, and she followed, only to find that she had reached an alley, and the figure was nowhere to be found. _

_She frowned in disappointment, wondering if she had only imagined seeing something. That would be a waste of time, and she had no idea where she was now. She turned around, confusion still present in her mind, but almost tripped when she saw what was in front of her._

_It was the figure, a black shadow with bright white eyes, and despite it not having pupils, she felt they were piercing her. She took a step back, her heart racing, but the shadow didn't move. Words got caught in her throat, and she gulped, trying to swallow them. She watched paralyzed as the shadow tilted its head to the side, almost analyzing her, before sticking its hand out towards her._

_She blinked, taking a sharp intake of breath, but the shadow didn't make any attempt to move towards her, if anything, it just stuck its hand out further. There was something about its eyes that enticed her, and it didn't seem like it wanted to hurt her. It was inviting her to believe, it was inviting her somewhere, somewhere far away from stealing and fooling people, somewhere she desperately wanted to be. _

_And so, she took a leap of faith._

* * *

**And that's a wrap on season two, we move on to 3A and I'm so excited about that. It's my favourite season out of every other one for two reasons: Henry finally gets the protagonism he deserves, because so far he was a side character that had little to no relevance to the plot, and Peter freaking Pan appears. That should be enough reason on its own, he's my favourite character and villain from OUAT and I have so many things planned concerning Yazi and him.**

**You will also get more flashbacks in this season, about Yazi's time in Neverland, who she met and what she did, which I'm also very excited for. I hope you are as well!**

**See you soon!**


	13. Welcome To Neverland

**Remember those promotional posters for season 3A? The ones that had 'Believe that…' and then something positive related to a character? Well, the phrase underneath would be in Yazi's poster if she had actually been in the show (Or if I actually knew how to use photoshop). Those phrases at the beginning of each new act are meant to give you a sense of the atmosphere you will have in each one. They will get more interesting as the story progresses. **

**But without further ado, welcome to season three!**

* * *

ACT THREE: PART ONE

"Believe that a golden heart will never be shattered"

* * *

_Yazi opened her eyes softly, to find a night sky. The full moon was shining brightly, and despite her heavy and pounding head, she felt renewed, energized, as if she had consumed three cans of Red Bull. It was the same sensation she got in the Enchanted Forest, under the full moon. But it couldn't be. There was a reason why the Land Without Magic was called that way, her powers didn't work and, therefore, the moon had no effect on her. _

_She sat straight promptly, and when she looked up, she found that a great ocean was extending in front of her. It was miles large, but the only thing she could see was a lonely ship floating in the middle of it, very far away from where she was. _

_She felt a rough texture underneath her fingertips, and when she looked down she noticed that she had landed on the coastline, some of the sand was sticking to her clothes, the same clothes she had been wearing earlier, when…_

_When she found the shadow. The last thing she remembered was taking its hand, and then everything went black. Had it taken her there?_

_But what was 'there' exactly?_

"_You're finally awake" she heard a male voice speaking behind her, and when she turned around she found a teenage boy. He had light brown hair and was dressed in layers of mismatched greens and browns; she could see a knife sticking out of his belt, and suddenly she felt very unprotected. _

"_Who are you?" she questioned with a frown, and couldn't help wondering if he had been there the whole time. That would be creepy. _

"_My name's Peter Pan" he replied, bowing slightly. _

'_Peter Pan'. _

_Back in Manhattan, she enjoyed visiting the libraries, and she remembered seeing his name more than once in the books present there. And Snow White's as well, needless to say the interpretations they had of the bandit were off track, way off. When she saw they considered her a helpless princess, who was always singing with her animal friends and didn't even know how to grab a sword, she decided she was not interested in any of those fairytales, who knows how many more things they got wrong. _

"_Welcome to Neverland" he stated, sticking his hand out for her. She was very hesitant to take it, she didn't have a good feeling about this boy and so much time in the real world had taught her to always follow her instincts, but if she wanted to avoid trouble, she figured she might as well do._

_At least for now, she didn't want any problems._

* * *

Yazi stared at the island far ahead, numb to all the noise and voices around her. Her head was swarming with thoughts and memories of the six months she spent in that place, surrounded by Pan and his lost boys. She didn't think she would see Neverland again, she didn't want to. She hated it there, the only thing that made her stay there more bearable was Neal's presence.

And now he was gone.

She still remembered Emma's teary face when she found her sitting on the stair of the Blanchard Loft, Mary Margaret at her side, her arms wrapped around the blonde's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. She still remembered her broken voice when she told her that Tamara had shot Neal, and pushed him through a portal.

Part of her was hoping he'd come back, but she knew that wasn't very possible, since there were no beans left. And besides, they didn't even know where he had landed. All they were sure of was that he was no longer in this realm, and Yazi had a hard time processing it. She had only just found him again after thirty years, Henry had just found his father and now she wasn't sure they would see him again. It wasn't fair. They still had so much things to catch up on, and she never really got the chance to thank him for everything he did for her. And now she would never be able to.

She blinked some tears away, shook her head to get rid of those thoughts, and reminded herself why she was there. It wasn't to dwell in self-pity, it was to rescue her best friend.

She knew Pan wouldn't hurt him, because for some reason he wanted him, for some reason he had told Greg and Tamara to bring him in. They hadn't gone out there just because they felt like it, that was for certain. She was pretty sure they didn't even know why they were in that place, they were just blindly following orders. Did that make them innocent? No, of course not, it meant that they only had a share of the blame.

But the fact that Henry was not going to get hurt, didn't ease her worry. She knew very well what their enemy was capable of doing, and what she feared was what exactly he wanted and how far he'd go to get it.

"Are you alright?" she felt a voice speaking to her, which pulled her out of her thoughts. She moved her gaze from the island to her right, to find Mary Margaret approaching. Looking behind her, she saw that David was with Emma, who didn't look too pleased. She wondered what had happened before focusing back on the woman, who seemed troubled about something, but she felt it was probably none of her business, so she didn't bring it up.

"Yeah" she replied, shrugging it off. She knew the woman was probably referring to what she had just been thinking about, but she didn't feel like talking about it at the moment.

"Are you sure? I know coming back here must be difficult for you" .

Yazi never told anyone about what she went through in Neverland, even though everyone knew she had been there at some point. It wasn't something she was very fond of, the same with her stay in Manhattan, but she couldn't deny it happened, especially because that year she was away from the forest changed her. A lot.

"I'm fine" she reiterated, giving her a smile "I just want to find Henry"

"We will" she assured with a firm nod.

"I know"

"Oh, that's a great use of our time" they heard Hook speaking, and when they turned around, they found Gold had showed up, his clothes different "A wardrobe change"

"You won't get Henry, I will" he replied, as everyone approached him, and Yazi arched her eyebrows.

"We agreed to do this together" Regina pointed out sharply. It still felt very weird for the young girl to have the woman who murdered her parents right besides her, but she was willing to put that remorse aside in order to find her son. Fighting and arguing was not going to get them anywhere, especially in Neverland. That was something Pan could take very good advantage of.

"Actually, we made no such agreements" he replied, which wasn't a lie. It was an unspoken alliance, but clearly that meant nothing to him.

_Maybe we should've wiped you up a contract_.

She thought to herself, knowing very well how fond he was of those. She would have said it out loud had she not made a promise to herself that she was not going to let her past with the villains on board to affect her, as long as their search for Henry lasted.

"Why are you doing this?" Emma questioned with a frown.

"Because I wanna succeed" he replied simply.

"What makes you think I'm gonna fail?"

"Well, how could you not?" he shot back, in a lugubrious whisper "You don't believe in your parents" Yazi looked at Mary Margaret and David, and suddenly realized why her guardian seemed so upset earlier "Or in magic, not even in yourself"

"I slayed a dragon, I think I believe"

"Only what you're shown to" he kept saying, which made her frown "When have you ever taken a real leap of faith? You know, the kind in which there's absolutely no proof" pause "I've known you some time, Miss Swan. And sadly, despite everything you've been through, you're still just that bail bonds person, looking for evidence" Emma just glared silently at him "Well, dearie, that is not gonna work in Neverland" Yazi hated to admit it, but he had a point. Neverland was a place in which anything was possible, since it ran on belief. There was no such thing as proof or evidence, rationality had to be let go of. And in the short time Yazi had known Emma, she had learned that she was a very rational woman, which was both, a curse and a blessing. Especially in the world they were living in.

"I'll do whatever it takes"

"You just need someone to tell you what that is" he hissed, holding his cane with both his hands "Sorry, dearie. Our foe is too fearsome for...Hand Holding" that was also true, but it made Yazi wonder how exactly Rumpelstiltskin knew Peter Pan. It didn't surprise her he did, because once you´ve spent so much time in Storybrooke, you learn that he knows everyone in that town, and outside of it as well. Everyone had at least once crossed paths with the Dark One.

"Neverland is a place in which imagination runs wild, and sadly, yours doesn't"

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

_Yazi groaned for the tenth time that week, as she pictured the several forms in which she could push the lost boys to the mermaids, if she actually ever got out of the cage she had been locked in, at least, two weeks ago. _

_The only people she had seen so far were the lost boys put on guard duty, to make sure she didn't escape. Not that she could as much as she wanted to, she had no weapons and couldn't see beyond the small gap above the cage door. She had no idea where she was, and Neverland was a big place; even if she did manage to escape, she wouldn't know where to go. With her luck, she might just fall right into Pan's clutches. She groaned again._

_But then, she felt steps approaching. She pressed her lips together, her heart pounding and tried to listen for voices, but there was only silence. The cage began moving, shaking, and she held the sides of it so as not to lose balance._

_What was going on?_

_She was being lowered down somewhere, but she couldn't see where and it filled her with dread. Was it Pan that was back or someone else? What did they want with her? She wanted to say something, anything, but words wouldn't come out._

_Then, something hit the lock of the door. It was definitely not a key, which meant that it wasn't Pan since he was the only one who had it. It sounded like something solid and heavy. A rock maybe?_

_And then, the door opened._

_Looking beyond it, she found a boy that looked about her age, maybe a little older, with black curls and brown hair. He wasn't dressed like the rest of the lost boys, with brown clothes and capes, rather in what she could only define as elegant pirate gear. And she had to admit, he was kinda cute. But she still didn't trust him._

"_Who are you?" she questioned cautiously, drawing her eyes to slits._

"_My name's Baelfire" he replied with a smile "I came to get you out of here"_

"_Did Pan send you?" _

"_No, he doesn't know I'm here" he shook his head "I manage to knock down Tom, but it won't be long before he wakes up" he explained, and when Yazi looked behind him, she noticed that the boy who had been guarding her, whose name was Tom apparently, was lying flat on the ground "We gotta get out of here" he stuck his hand out for her to grab, but she eyed it suspiciously. He could be lying for all she knew "I know it's probably very hard for you to trust anyone right now, but I promise I'm not going to hurt you" she remained quiet, reflecting for a little while. _

_She hadn't seen much of the lost boys, but by the few minutes she spent as they escorted her from the coast to the beach, she could see they would never go against their leader's wishes, whether it was out of fear or loyalty, she did not know. But she did know that Baelfire was taking a huge risk for her, it didn't matter if he was a lost boy or not. One way or another, he was going against Peter Pan. And that immediately earned him the first spot in her, until now, blank 'less deceitful' list. She'd rather have hope with him than certainty anywhere else in that place._

_His hand was cold as she grabbed it and stood up, which made her wonder how exactly the weather worked in Neverland. It was spring in the Land Without Magic, but did seasons even exist there? The nights she spent in that cage were a little too long for her, but she didn't know if they actually were or she just felt like it. _

"_I know a place we can hide" he commented, hands still intertwined "What's your name?"_

"_Yazi" _

"_It's nice to meet you"_

"_You too" she replied with a smile, looking to the cage she had just come out of. It was the only one there; it had been held up in the air by a rope tied to a metal peg, and below it, all she could see was the ocean. She didn't know how far up they were exactly, but she knew that a fall from there would probably hurt a lot. _

_Tom groaned behind them, and shifted spots. Baelfire's grip on her hand tightened as he looked at her, worry in his eyes_

"_C'mon, let's go"_

* * *

Yazi approached the helm. She had never been on a ship before, so she was quite curious about what she could find there. It was rather small in comparison to some others she had heard of, and very well kept, despite it being probably centuries old. She briefly wondered how much time he had spent in Neverland.

Then, she spotted some markings at the helm. She frowned curiously, as she observed them; they were crossed out in the form of a 'Z', but she could kinda tell what was written below. A 'P' on the left, an 'S' on the right, and an arrow in between.

"Baelfire and I spent a lot of time together before you met" Hook commented, and she suddenly realized he had been there the whole time.

"Yeah, he mentioned it to me" she admitted, folding her arms, feeling cold all of a sudden "Was this when you taught him how to sail?" she added, setting her gaze on the markings once again.

During their time in Neverland, Neal had told her how he spent some time aboard the Jolly Roger with Hook, before he betrayed him and gave him up to the lost boys. They got along perfectly well for a while, he was probably the closest thing Neal had to a father back then, considering what a mess his own was.

"Aye" he nodded, his eyes melancholic "He was a natural" he added, which made her smile. There was silence for a moment, as they got closer to the island, until he spoke up again "There's something I think you would like having"

"What is it?" she questioned, looking at him curiously.

"Follow me" he stated, motioning downstairs. She looked behind her, to find that everyone seemed to be focused on their own business, they hadn't noticed them.

"Sure" she stated, doing as told. She trusted Hook enough to know that he wouldn't hurt her, he had come back to help them, after all, and so far, he hadn't caused any trouble, which was surprising considering he had been travelling with Gold, his mortal enemy. That definitely meant something, it meant that maybe he was actually trying to change. And she was willing to give him a chance, despite what he had put Neal through, as long as he didn't do anything to harm the rest of the people she loved, unlike the Dark One who had practically betrayed them as soon as they got to Neverland.

She followed Hook underground, until they reached one of the sleeping chambers. That, on the other hand, was a bit messy, but it wasn't that bad; the pirated probably had no need to keep it tidy since he was the only one on board.

As Yazi wondered why they were down there, Hook took a small key from his pocket and went over to one of the many cupboards in the room. She followed his movements curiously, and watched him take a sword from the two that were placed inside.

"I found this one some time ago" he began explaining, closing the cupboard and approaching her "It probably belonged to one of my crewmen" she looked at him with a frown as he handed it to her, wondering what he wanted her to do with it "You can have it"

"Really?" she asked surprised, and he just nodded silently. She wasn't entirely sure how he knew she could use a sword, maybe he had heard it from someone, but she wasn't going to question it either.

When she arrived to the Land Without Magic, she obviously couldn't stroll around with a sword in hand, she would probably look even more suspicious; she had sold it to a costume shop, in exchange for some money to get new clothes. The owner of the shop paid very well because the sword looked 'so real', and she obviously didn't mention it was. She seriously regretted giving it up now, but back then she didn't think she would need it again.

So she was very thankful, since she would definitely need a weapon if they were going to Neverland.

"Thanks" she said sincerely, as she took it out of the sheath, to observe it carefully. She didn't know much about how swords were made, but it seemed like the blade of that one was steel; the sheath was made of brown leather, with some silver coloured details. She tied the sheath behind her back, just above her belt and was surprised at how comfortable she felt despite not having used one in years.

She wanted to ask why he would give her something like that, without even knowing her, but before she could, something hit the ship, shaking it violently.

Something was attacking them.

* * *

**So Yazi has a sword now, which will prove to be very useful in the future. Peter Pan appears in the next chapter which I'm super happy about, and you will see more of Henry than what the series showed in this season. Considering Yazi and him are in completely different spots, I wonder how that will happen…**

**And also, I think it was clear but just in case it isn't, this story is narrated in third person, from Yazi's POV, at least for now. That's why you don't see anyone else's perspective. **

**What do you think so far? I can't stress enough how excited I am for this Neverland arc, I hope you are as well!**


	14. How It Began

_Yazi followed Baelfire as he guided her through the jungle and into his hideout, where, according to him, Pan wouldn't be able to find them. _

_She had a million questions for him. Who was he? Why was he helping her? How long had he been in Neverland? She figured the answered to that last one was 'a long time', since he he seemed to know his way around the island pretty well, while all the trees looked the same to her. _

_But there was no time to chat, as long as they were in open air anyone could find them. She would try later, once things were more or less calmed down and they weren't running for their lives. She couldn't help wondering when that would happen._

_But she wasn't going to complain. As long as they arrived somewhere safe, if there was such a thing, she didn't care how long it took._

"_We're almost there" Baelfire spoke up, as if he had read her mind._

"_Not quite" they heard a new voice, and soon enough, Pan emerged from the bushes. Yazi gasped and opened her eyes wide, scanning the area to see if there was anyone else, but it was just them "I'm impressed, Baelfire" he admitted, folding his arms, and the girl wasn't sure whether he was being genuine or not. She also didn't understand how he had managed to find them so fast, it had been maybe ten or fifteen minutes. She thought it'd take Tom at least half and hour to wake up, which should have been more than enough time to run away and hide. _

"_Leave us alone" he snapped, standing in front of the girl protectively. _

"_Oh" Pan clicked his tongue "You're both so adorable" he added, almost mockingly as he cut his gaze between the two of them, but his expression quickly shifted into something darker "But I'm not here for you, it's her I want" he added, setting his gaze on Yazi, who had been quiet until now._

"_I'm not going anywhere with you" she said sharply, still standing behind her friend, making Pan raise an eyebrow, she didn't know if it was out of surprise or amusement. Maybe both "You're just going to lock me in that cage again" his eyes lit up from the challenge, and he smirked._

"_In that case, let's play a game" he replied, which made her frown. That was out of the blue, and not at all what she expected to hear. She was ready for something along the lines of 'I didn't ask' or 'You don't have a choice', but certainly not a...Game, whatever that meant. _

"_We're not doing anything with you" Baelfire kept insisting, and Yazi had to agree. She was trying to figure out a way for them to escape as she scanned the jungle, but she stopped when Pan said the next thing:_

"_Even if it means you'll be free?" both kids exchanged cautious glances, before staring back at Pan._

"_You're letting us go?" she questioned, moving to stand besides Bae rather than behind. _

"_I'm letting you out of that cage" he corrected, which didn't surprise her. Getting to leave Neverland was too much to ask, that was the next best thing "If you can win a duel"_

"_Don't trust him, Yazi" the boy said, his gaze never leaving their enemy "He's messing with you"_

"_Am I?" he questioned, before doing a hand motion, and the girl felt her fingers wrapping around something cold. Looking down, she saw she was holding a sword. Her eyes opened wide, and so did her friend's "I'm giving you a chance to fight for your freedom, if I were you I'd take it"_

_She wanted to say no, she didn't want to take part in any of his wicked games, but she had a feeling she didn't have much of a choice. And if it meant not seeing that cage again, she was willing to risk it. _

"_Who am I facing?" _

"_No" the girl felt Bae's hand wrapping around her free arm, concern clear in his eyes as she turned to look at him "You can't"_

"_I'll be fine" she assured with a smile, and she hoped that was true. Pan could be tricking her for all she knew, and even if she did win, she could easily be locked again. But it didn't seem that was up for debate "Who is it?" she questioned, looking back at the lost boy, who had a triumphant expression on._

"_Rasheed" he stated, and it seemed he was calling for someone._

_And that was proven when a boy emerged from the shadows. He had black hair, grey eyes and a stern expression that could freeze even the warmest of hearts. There was a cut above his lip, and another scar across his right cheek. Yazi didn't want to know how he got those. _

_He was slightly taller than her, and had a lot of muscular mass from what she could tell. He could definitely take her down if he wanted to, which would pose to be a problem for her if she meant to keep steady while dueling. She would have to use the offensive stance. He was right handed, as proven by the sword he was holding. _

"_You're going down, little girl" Rasheed stated in a deep voice._

"_We'll see about that" she replied sharply. Out of the corner of her eye, she tried to spot Baelfire in order to avoid moving towards him while fighting, she didn't want to hurt him. He was to her left, observing her with worry._

* * *

"What's going on?!" Yazi questioned as Hook and her arrived to the deck, where Mary Margaret and David were trying to keep the ship steady, as something hit it from outside.

"Prepare for attack!" that was the captain's only indication as he ran to the helm.

"Be more specific" Regina snapped.

"If you have a weapon, grab it" he explained, and Yazi's hand went over to the handle of her new sword defensively. It was quite dark, so she couldn't see much. She leaned over the side of the ship to try and catch was was underneath; there was an ear shattering screeching, and her eyes opened wide when she saw a tail.

"Where did you get that?" Mary Margaret asked, her eyes set on the sword hanging from her belt.

"Hook gave it to me" she replied simply, and the woman's gaze seemed to be a mix between concern and disapproval, but she obviously didn't have time to ask any questions.

"What's down there?" Emma demanded as the ship shook even harder "A shark? A whale?"

"A kraken?" David tried to guess. And that would have been a much better choice.

"You wish" she replied sternly, much to his confusion "Mermaids"

When she was in Neverland, she never had a direct encounter with them, but she had heard they were treacherous creatures despite their innocent appearance. They could drown anyone who stepped in their territory with just one move; they were one of the most dangerous creatures of the island.

"Mermaids?!" Emma repeated in disbelief, and Yazi couldn't blame her. Nobody would think mermaids could be so dangerous.

"Yes, and they're quite unpleasant!" Hook agreed.

"You think?" Regina questioned sarcastically, as another hit was delivered.

"I'll try to outrun them" the captain announced again, as Yazi held onto the side of the ship tightly so as not fall right overboard. That was something she didn't want to experience.

"How many of them are there?!" the blonde woman yelled to be heard over the chaos.

"Too many!" Yazi replied the same way. They always came in packs, never alone. If you saw only one, you better bet the rest were hidden somewhere nearby.

"I will not be capsized by fish!" David exclaimed, walking over to a canyon and loading some arrows.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret called for her daughter, as they both went towards the nets on one side of the ship.

"What are you doing?"

"Fishing!" Yazi wanted to do something to help, but she had no idea how either one of the weapons in that ship worked. She didn't have any bow or arrows on her, and even if she did her aim was terrible, she would never hit the target.

"We caught one!" the black haired announced after some seconds, as both women struggled to keep a steady hold on the net, while also pulling it up.

"One?" Regina mocked "There are dozens of them" that being said, she began throwing fireballs at the ocean to frighten the creatures away, and five minutes later, the ship was steady again "There you go, they're gone"

"Not all of them!" Mary Margaret argued, still trying to pull the net up "What about that one?" Regina looked over her shoulder with an uninterested glance, before doing a hand motion, making the mermaid appear, net and everything, behind her, on the ship.

* * *

"_Go on" Pan urged, taking some steps back to enjoy the show "Let the game begin" she was pretty sure he didn't think she was going to win, which made her even more determined to make sure she did. _

_Rasheed attacked first, and their swords clashed with a loud noise. Her teeth clenched, the pressure he was putting on her sword was pushing her backwards, she needed to move away before she hit the tree behind her. _

_The middle of the jungle was definitely not the best place to have that duel, but there was nothing she could do now. _

_She jumped to the side, and she barely had time to catch her breath before he attacked again. She blocked his blow with her own sword, and began delivering some herself, but he parried. He aimed at her feet, but she jumped and as soon as she hit the floor, she delivered a blow close to his neck, but he blocked it once again. _

_They began circling each other, analyzing each other, and then she began the attack this time. She delivered blow after blow, it seemed for a moment he was struggling to keep steady, but pretty soon he picked up the pace again and blocked her with strength, pushing her back and making her fall down. The ringing in her ears didn't allow her to hear anything beyond what he was saying, but she was pretty sure Pan was probably snickering. _

"_Ready to give up?" Rasheed taunted._

"_Not quite yet" Yazi replied bluntly, wiping some sweat off her forehead as she stood up. Behind Rasheed, Bae was observing the scene with fear in his eyes, and Pan besides her was smirking, clearly amused by her awful performance._

"_Don't feel bad, you'll get used to the cage eventually" he continued, and she bit her tongue in an attempt to contain her rage. This was what he wanted, to anger her in order to distract her. She was not going to let that happen, she had to think, not react. _

_She took a sharp breath, as she tried to remember everything she had learned in the enchanted forest, under Snow's teaching. _

"_Ready for round two?"_

"_Oh, just shut up already" she replied, rolling her eyes before beginning their dance again. _

_This time, she aimed at his feet, and he jumped to avoid it, going very high up. Maybe a bit too much. She grinned, finally finding a weak spot, an attacked once again, at his face. Through their crossed swords, she could see some sweat in his forehead. _

_As soon as he began pushing her away, she backed out of range, snatching his advantage. He attacked, she blocked and managed to hit him on his right shoulder with the handle of her sword. He groaned, but she didn't give him a chance to make a move, aiming at his feet again. He jumped a little too late, and the tip of her sword finally slipped past his guard, and drew a slash across his good cheek. _

_He was clearly taken back by this move, so much that he just stared at her in shock, not making a single attempt to attack her._

"_Who's down now?" she questioned mockingly. He glared at her, before raising his sword to attack again._

"_It's over" Pan's voice interrupted, and she turned around to see him leaving his spot and approaching them. Rasheed sheathed his sword at his indirect orders, and went to stand by his side, droplets of blood beginning to stream down from his cut "Looks like you actually have some fire in you, after all" he stated, and he seemed rather pleased about the situation, which raised some concerns "I may have underestimated you" she frowned, trying to figure out whether that was good or bad._

"_You said if she won, she wouldn't have to go back to the cage" Baelfire spoke up behind her, reminding her that he was also there. She wondered what he thought about the whole ordeal._

"_As a matter of fact" he replied with a curt nod "You've earned it" he added, looking at Yazi "Congratulations...Lost girl"_

* * *

"Get that thing off my ship!" Hook ordered sternly, and Yazi had to agree. This was not going to end well.

"No" Regina argued as she approached the mermaid "Now we have a hostage"

"It's not safe for it to be on board" Yazi declared, shaking her head.

"I agree" David replied "Those things just tried to kill us"

"And perhaps we should find out why" the evil queen suggested.

"How, by torturing her?" Mary Margaret questioned, showing she clearly didn't agree with that option.

"If I have to, sure" Yazi watched with a frown as the mermaid reached for a seashell lying on the net, and brought it to her mouth, before blowing on it. A deafening sound came out of it, causing everyone on board to cover their ears in an attempt to block it.

"What the hell was that?"

"A warning" the mermaid replied, casting them a vengeful smile "Let me go, or die"

"What is this?!" David demanded, snatching the seashell from her hands "What did you do?"

"Let me go" the creature replied seductively, her eyes lingering on David's lips for more than a few seconds as she ignored his question.

"Not until you tell us!" Regina argued "Or we make you tell us" the mermaid glared.

"Threatening her isn't the way to motivate her!" Mary Margaret argued strongly.

"Well, I'm all out of fish food"

"Doesn't matter if you get her to talk!" Hook chimed in "You can't trust them!"

"Hook's right" Yazi backed him up "She needs to go, or it'll put us all in danger. All their kind does is lie"

"Maybe they're just scared of Pan!" Mary Margaret tried to reason "If we let her go, maybe they'll be on our side" as optimistic as that sounded, Yazi knew it wasn't true.

"Or maybe she and her friends will come back to kill us" Regina stated sharply.

"If we let her go, they won't" Yazi intervened "Not after you almost burned them alive" the mermaids were strong, but not dumb. They were at a disadvantage and they knew it, especially with the evil queen on board.

"I don't need my friends to kill you" the mermaid spoke up "You'll just kill yourselves" Yazi frowned, wondering what on earth that mean "Now let me go"

Suddenly, lightning stroke, not close to harm them but enough to notice it.

"What the hell?" someone asked, and the mermaid just smirked as she looked up at the dark grey clouds that were gathering in the night sky.

"A storm" Hook replied "She called it. Don't let her go, she'll escape and leave us to die. At least with her we've got leverage" Yazi pressed her lips together; she knew something like that was going to happen the longer the threats to the mermaid went on.

David unsheathed his sword, and pressed the tip against the mermaid's neck.

"Stop the storm and we'll let you go" the mystical woman just shook her head playfully, and smiled. And in one swift move, the prince was behind her, holding his sword to her neck.

"That's more like it, Charming" Regina said with a snicker "Slay the bitch" he pressed the sword harder, and the mermaid began trembling, her face frightened as she miserably tried to escape.

Yazi looked around, wondering if the others were just going to let that happen. His wife had utter horror written in her face, and Emma remained with a straight face, but the girl could tell she wasn't entirely convinced about what her dad was about to do.

Yazi doubted killing the mermaid would solve their problems, but she also couldn't really see any other solution. They were trapped under a storm that was growing stronger and stronger, and she had no idea how they would be able to get out of it. The shore was very far, and if the ship sunk, then they would have to swim towards it, and it wasn't the most practical course of action.

"No" David finally stated, moving away; Yazi doubted Regina was happy about that "We're not barbarians" the ship shook harder.

"What we're going to be is dead!" the evil queen shot.

"Hold on!" Hook called from the helm, as he moved it "I'm gonna turn it around! I've outrun many storms!" Yazi decided that, seeing how things were going, standing close to the edge of the ship was a terrible idea, and so she clenched her teeth, and began to make her way towards the middle of it, where the rest of them were. She stumbled a few times, but managed to reach it, and hold tightly to the mast.

"Stop it, or die!" Regina threatened, leaning extremely close to the mermaid with fire in her eyes.

"We're not killers!" Mary Margaret yelled, holding onto a rope as another lightning stroke.

"Yes, you are!" the mermaid snapped "And you brought this death upon yourselves!"

"That's why we should free her!" the princess said in a singy voice.

"That 'be good' nonsense, Snow, might play in the enchanted forest, but this?" Regina said, her voice full of venom "This is Neverland!" the ship, which until then had managed to stay out of the storm, was heading straight towards its eye.

"Keep your grip, pirate!" David exclaimed angrily.

"It wasn't me, mate!" Hook defended himself, as he tried to regain the ship's control "It's the ship!"

"We're taking water!" Yazi announced still holding onto the mast, as the waves broke incredibly close to her, landing a few droplets on her face.

"Now may I resume killing her?!" Regina questioned outraged.

"No!"

"If you kill her, her kind will have a personal vendetta against us!" Mary Margaret pointed out logically.

"The queen is right, they already tried to kill us!" Hook replied, with just as much logic. They were already a threat for them, killing the mermaid would only make things worse, and they had enough problems to deal with as it was.

"Stop, that's enough!" Emma intervened, trying to keep the peace.

"I don't think killing her is the solution!" Yazi admitted. The storm was something else, it was far too strong for the mermaid to be the cause of it; Hook was a great captain, and if he couldn't get them out of there, it was because it obviously wasn't a normal one. It only seemed to grow stronger and stronger.

"What would a thirteen year old girl know about this?" Regina snapped, and Yazi did her best not to engage in an argument, and keep calm.

"All I'm saying is that we have to think it through" she replied instead.

"I already did" the evil queen announced, before motioning towards the mermaid, and turning her into wood. Yazi opened her eyes wide "There, that should stop the storm"

Well, look at that, it didn't.

"What did you do?!" Emma demanded, as a huge wave rose in front of them, and the ship was right in the middle of it. Yazi closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact; the water from the wave hit her like a storm, and she shivered instinctively as a cold feeling embraced her.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that everyone was as wet as her. At some point, Emma had rushed to the helm, and was now trying to help Hook stir the ship and regain the course.

"Why would you do this?!" she snapped her head to the side, to find Mary Margaret arguing with Regina.

"You're going to blame me?!"

"You turned the mermaid into wood!"

"At least I did something about it, which is more than you can say!"

"Undo the spell, bring back the mermaid!" another lightning, this time extremely close to the ship.

"And what? You'll win her over with your rainbow kisses and unicorn stickers?!"

"Considering that your plan failed, at least we could try!" and considering everyone else seemed too busy trying to control the helm to do something about that, Yazi figured someone had to stop them.

"Stop it!" she tried to intervene, rushing to stand in front of them "This is not going to help anyone!"

"Yazi, stay out of this!" Mary Margaret indicated.

"Not if you're going to be like this!" she argued "If we just work together, we might find a way to outrun this storm!"

"In case you haven't noticed, girl, we're standing right underneath it!" Regina switched to attacking Yazi this time, who took a deep breath, asking whoever was listening to give her as much patience as they could.

"Don't talk to her like that!"

"Or what? You'll trap me in a net? Look how well that worked out for you!" Mary Margret just glared at her "You're such a naive princess!"

"And you're such a…" she pressed her lips together, before throwing a punch at her face. Yazi moved aside to stay out of range, and she saw sparks close to her, due to the next lighting. The rain grew heavier, and she could barely keep her eyes opened.

There were too many things happening at once, and at one point Hook and David began wrestling with each other as well. Yazi looked towards Emma, who had been left alone trying to control the ship.

With every new insult and punch that was thrown, more lightning stroke. Furious thunders were heard, and the waves grew even bigger, implacable.

Everything was enraged...Enraged. Rage. That was it.

The storm was growing worse because it was being fueled by negative feelings, and there was _a lot_ of negativity on board the Jolly Roger.

"It's us, we're causing the storm" the girl realized.

"If you don't stop fighting, we're all gonna die!" Emma seemed to have done that as well. Yazi closed her eyes, trying to block all the outside noise, all the screaming and yelling to concentrate on what she could do to stop it. Everyone was getting at each other's throats, and Emma was doing her best to turn the ship away, so it was up to her "You need to listen to me!"

Yazi was sure they weren't going to.

But if she could let go of the remorse she felt against Regina for killing her parents, the rest could do the same. She had to find a way for them to work together, the question was how.

And when she looked to her side, to the third series of waves approaching, the ocean shaking violently, she realized.

She untied the sheath from her waist, if she kept it on she was definitely going to lose it, and with the help of one of the ropes, jumped onto the edge of the hull and looked down.

"Yazi!" she heard someone yelling, but before her brain could process who it was, she jumped off, and sliced through the cold and tumultuous water.

Then, everything went black.

* * *

**You finally get to see Yazi in action, using her sword, thoughts on that?**

**Also, I wanted Peter Pan to show up in front of Yazi at the end of this chapter, but it would have made it way too long and kinda rushed, so I chose better and he will appear in the next one.**

**In another order of things, I'm finally on holidays so I will have a lot more time to write this fanfic which I'm super excited about.**

**Hope you enjoyed your reading! Have a wonderful week!**


	15. Lost Girl

Yazi was woken up by a very familiar sound.

After managing to stop the storm by throwing herself into what could've been her death, and getting everyone to stop fighting and join forces to rescue her, they decided to set camp and begin looking for Henry after they had gotten a well deserved rest.

She sat straight, and looked around. Everyone was sleeping, unaware of the music playing in a camp far away, which was a good sign, but it also made her heart sink. She was hoping that after so many years, she'd become numb to it, but apparently not. Apparently she still felt that way, and she hated it.

She felt some bushes rustling, and her limbs tensed. She stood up, took out her sword and followed the noise into the jungle, far from everyone's radar, just the way he liked it.

"You can still hear it" she heard his voice behind her, and turned around, to come face to face with Peter Pan himself "Glad to see nothing's changed"

"I was wondering how long it'd take for you to show up" she admitted, still holding her sword. She knew better than to lower her guard in front of him, despite how harmless he might seem.

"I'm flattered" he replied with his signature smirk, which made her roll her eyes.

"What do you want?" she questioned, straight to the point. She had no need or want to be around him any more than she had to.

"I just wanted to pay a visit to my old friend" he replied, folding her arms and she raised and eyebrow in amusement.

"Our definitions of friendship are clearly very different" she stated sharply. She remained calm, because he wasn't there to hurt her, that method was too direct for him. He prefered something more twisted but subtle "Where's Henry? Locked in a cage somewhere?" he gave her a 'seriously?' glance.

"You know me better than that, Yazi" he was right, but it was worth a try "I meant it, I just want to talk, so you can put that sword away" she narrowed her eyes cautiously, her body motionless which made him smirk "You're still the same skeptic girl"

"You're standing in front of me, are you really that surprised?" he scoffed in amusement, or mockery, she wasn't sure.

"I expected nothing less from you" he admitted, and she feigned a smile as he leaned against a tree "I have an offer"

"Not interested" she replied promptly.

"Even if it means you could see Henry?" she arched her eyebrows, a sharp intake of breath entered her nose.

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing yet" he replied, approaching her, and the simplicity with which he said that made her want to punch him "I can take you to him" she frowned suspiciously.

"Really?" she asked unimpressed, not believing a word of what he was saying.

"You don't have to follow them" he looked behind him, where the adults were sleeping peacefully "It's going to be bothersome, trust me. Especially since you know more than they do" Yazi couldn't deny that last part, she was in Neverland for quite some time and she knew her way around the island and Pan pretty well, as much as Hook did. The rest hadn't been there before "They should be the ones listening to you"

But the fact that he was kinda right, didn't mean she was going to trust him. All of them were in this together, she was not going to leave the people she cared about to fend by themselves in Neverland, even though she knew they were probably capable of doing it, but if she did she would never forgive herself. They knew she had been there before, so she was sure they were going to take into account what she said. What happened at the ship was an exception, since everyone was questioning everyone, it wasn't personal. She was convinced of it.

"I'm fine, thanks"

"For now" he said mysteriously.

"What does that mean?" she questioned, but quickly changed her mind "Actually, you know what? I don't care. What makes you think I'll believe anything you say?" he leaned closer to her, which was extremely uncomfortable.

"Have I ever lied to you?" he demanded, and as much as she tried to recall a moment in which he had, she couldn't. He never told her the entire truth, of course not, but he had never said something that wasn't true "You know me, Yazi, I always keep my word" but she was not going to fall for that, she was going to stick with the rest until the end "You were a lost girl once, you can be one again"

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

"_3, 2, 1" _

_Both cards were turned on the rocky floor of the hideout._

"_Looks like I win again" Baelfire bragged good-heartedly, and through the six candles surrounding them, Yazi could see he had a jack of hearts, which beat her ten of spades but only for a little bit. _

"_This game is rigged" the girl declared, folding her arms like an angry toddler, which made her friend chuckle in amusement as he picked the two cards and added them to his second deck, which was much taller than hers. _

"_It's a 50-50 chance" he corrected "It just seems that today I'm luckier than you are" he added, giving her a boyish grin as he shrugged._

"_We'll see about that" she challenged, getting ready for the next round, her eyes set on the box of chocolates lying on the table behind the boy; that was the prize they were competing for. _

_When Yazi suggested they played War, a game she played with her parents when she was younger, she was surprised to see that Baelfire knew what it consisted on. He hadn't elaborated a lot on it, but from what she could gather, a pair of young siblings had taught it to him a long time ago. _

_Of course, they didn't just have a 52-card deck lying around in that cave, but coincidentally they were in a magic island where they could just imagine something and it would show up right underneath their noses. That's how they managed to get the candles and chocolates as well; Bae didn't seemed too convinced about using magic, and Yazi wasn't sure he would be comfortable with telling her why, so she didn't bring it up, but rather, assured she would make all of it go away as soon as they were done using it. _

_Several hours had passed since Yazi faced Rasheed and won. Right after Pan left, Baelfire congratulated her, claiming she was amazing, and they began making their way back to his hideout, where he had been staying ever since he arrived to Neverland. The entrance was a rock door, that could only be lifted up with the rope attached to it, and it was quite far away from Pan's camp. Her friend had told her that the leader of the lost boys hadn't set foot on it, and that could either be because he didn't know where it was or he just wasn't that interested. She wasn't sure which one was better. _

"_1, 2, 3" Bae counted this time, and they both turned the other cards. Two aces._

"_We're going to war" Yazi said with a challenging grin, looking up at him._

"_Looks like it" he replied, meeting her gaze and smiling the same way. _

_They both grabbed three cards from the play deck, and placed them upside down besides the aces. Then, they took another one from the deck and placed it on top the spades. They counted again._

_Four of hearts versus five._

"_Better luck next time" Baelfire stated good heartedly, grabbing the ten cards and placing them in his deck, effectively emptying Yazi's. She just huffed, much to his entertainment as she placed her eyes on the chocolates, and an idea occurred to her. _

_She sneaked a glance at Bae, who was too distracted trying to fix the deck of cards to make it look tidier, and she grinned. In one swift move, she stood up and rushed to the table, to get the box before he did. _

"_Hey!" she heard him call and stand up, approaching her. She extended her hand, reaching for it, but her fingertips could only graze it before she felt two arms wrapping around her waist, stopping her. _

"_Hey!" _

"_Yeah, that's what I said" she heard Baelfire's voice as he walked away, still holding her; he was much stronger than he appeared to be._

"_Let me go!" she ordered, hitting his hands playfully, but he didn't._

"_You were trying to cheat!" she heard him saying, and by his tone she noticed he wasn't really mad, in fact, it seemed like he was on the verge of laughter. _

"_Was not!" she argued, laughing herself as she tried to shake his hands off. Thank goodness they weren't in water, otherwise that would not have ended well. _

"_Then what do you call it?" _

"_I was going to give them to you!" she joked, not even trying to hide the fact she was. She couldn't see his face, but she was sure he was giving her the typical 'you gotta be kidding me' look. _

"_Yeah, right" he replied, as she tried to walk away, but his grip was strong. She tried not to focus on the electricity crackling in her veins at that moment. _

"_If you don't let me go, I'm gonna fall, and if I go down, you go down with me" _

"_Be my guest" he replied, probably not believing her. _

"_You asked for it" she stated, before bending her knees, and, naturally, hitting the cold floor. They fell with a loud noise, the impact blowing out some of the candles close to them. She heard him groan in pain, and her waist felt lighter once again. She sat straight, and looked down to him with her arms folded in triumph "I did warn you" she pointed out, quickly scanning him up and down in case he was actually injured, without him noticing, obviously. It didn't seem like it "And now your pretty clothes are ruined" she added, seeing specks of dirt in his coat. Her hands instinctively began sweeping it, first the sides, and then the shoulders. She spotted some more above them, and her thumb rubbed it off; the texture was smoother than she thought, but when her brain finally caught up to her actions, she realized that it was because she was touching his cheek. She froze for a moment, her heart racing, and even though it was dark, she could see his gaze was fixed on hers. None of them said anything for a moment._

_And then, she heard something._

* * *

"The ridge is a few hundred paces up ahead" Hook announced as he guided the crew to a place where they would spot the camp, and Yazi could confirm they were going the right way, even if the island had changed for the past years.

She hadn't told them about her encounter with Pan, because it didn't matter. There was no point, since she wasn't going to take the deal anyway, and she didn't want to worry them with useless information. Saving Henry was the important thing, nothing else mattered.

"You really think we're gonna be able to see Pan's hideout?" Emma questioned, holding one of the two lanterns they had. David was ahead with the other one, because he was cutting through the several vines that appeared in their way.

"From there, we should be able to see everything" Hook replied, giving her a quick glance "Including where he's keeping your son"

"You know, I could've just poofed us up here in an instant" Regina commented sharply, and Yazi could tell she wasn't very happy about their hiking.

"Do you have any idea what's here?" Hook questioned logically "Or anywhere?" he added, giving her a questioning glance, and Yazi had to agree. Only the two of them knew the outline of Neverland well enough to be able to move through it "There's dangers all about, only I and Yazi can guide you pass them" the girl smiled, appreciating the fact that he was taking her into account.

"But she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to" Snow commented, which made her frown, wondering what that meant.

"I'll take my chances with the pirate" Regina added, which, again, bothered her, but said nothing about it. Regina was like that to everyone, she shouldn't take it personal.

She raised her gaze ahead, just in time to see David about to slash some particular bushes.

"Don't do that!" Yazi urged before he could, which earned her a questioning glance "That's dreamshade, the most dangerous plant of the island. It's poison"

"This the source of the toxins I used on the Dark One" Hook backed her up, scanning them cautiously.

"The ones that almost killed Gold?" Emma asked from behind, which made the pirate nod.

"I used a concentrated form" he continued "In its natural state, death would be much slower and much more painful" he added, before looking to his right, where the path was much clearer "I suggest we go this way"

"Yeah, I remember that path" Yazi agreed with him, taking a brief look at the trail. She wasn't always living in that cave with Bae, sometimes she got out to explore; if she was going to live there, she had to know the way.

"Well, I think we should go this way" David suggested, gesturing to the opposite side, and completely ignoring her suggestion, which made her frown, but he just kept on walking, Regina following soon behind.

"It's nice being listened to" she mumbled as she did the same.

"He's just following his instincts" Mary Margaret tried to defend her husband, but she didn't answer. Instincts could be good, but not in this case. In a unknown land, specially one as dangerous as Neverland, instincts could be the death of someone.

"Up here!" David announced after some minutes, and when Yazi caught up to him, they were indeed in the ridge Hook had mentioned "We made it"

The view was spine-chilling, everything was dark and there was fog setting in the highest peaks of the enormous island. Yazi couldn't see much beyond where they were, and it gave her the creeps. She didn't remember it being that way, probably because when she was there, it wasn't all that bad since she had Neal which brightened her up, but now that she was back to rescue her best friend from the devil's clutches, it made it more disturbing.

"Pan's lair should be just right…" Hook began approaching them, but when he reached them he found that nothing could be seen.

"Where?" Regina demanded, her hands on her waist "All I see is jungle"

"The Dark Jungle" Yazi breathed out, and saying it out loud made it even more disturbing.

"Aye" Hook nodded, getting hold of his spyglass to try to spot the lair, but Yazi wondered if he could "It's grown a lot since I last stepped foot on Neverland" he said awkwardly, and her suspicions were confirmed.

"So this nature hike was for nothing" Regina concluded sourly.

"Hook may have let us stray" David said disapprovingly, giving the pirate a glare "But at least we're in a good position to start decoding the jungle" he added, observing their surroundings.

"Not exactly" the pirate spoke up "The Dark Jungle is the last place you wanna set foot. We'll have to go around it, and to do that, we're gonna need our strength. I suggest we make camp"

"You wanna sleep while my son is out there suffering?" the evil queen demanded.

"We're not gonna find him in a day, Regina" Yazi spoke up "He's not going to be in plain sight for us to just go and get him" that would be too easy. Pan was more about intricate games, which is also why he wasn't going to hurt Henry so easy.

"Yazi's right" Hook backed her up "And if you wanna survive long enough to find the boy, we need to rest"

Nobody argued against that.

* * *

_The noise pulled her out of the trance-like state she had been in, managing to get her to take her hand off his face. _

"_What is that?" she questioned with a frown, looking at the entrance of the cave, since it came from somewhere outside. It sounded like a melody, she could feel it drilling her head, getting inside, and she had a feeling that was not good, so she turned to look at Baelfire instead, who was leaning against his bed, the cards were gone and, while the box of chocolates was still there, they had long lost interest on it. _

"_You can hear it too?" he questioned in surprise, making her frown. 'Too'? Not everyone could hear it?_

"_What is it?" she repeated, finding it was hard to maintain eye contact with him after what had just happened between them. _

"_The lost boys have parties every night" he began explaining "That music is the flute Pan's playing"_

"_It doesn't sound like a flute" she admitted. The music seemed like the product of a bunch of instruments, not just that single one. _

"_It's magical" he replied, and that explained why. _

"_Can everyone hear it?" _

"_People who've been here long enough can" Bae admitted "I'm surprised you can as well, considering you just arrived" there was nostalgia in the way he spoke, as if he was reminiscing about something. _

_She tried to gather her thoughts. She had no idea what time of the night it was, but she wasn't tired; they hadn't talked much about themselves, so she figured this was as good a time as any to get to know him better, because she was intrigued by him, she wanted to know more. _

_She grabbed one of the few candles that was still lit up, and approached him. She would have preferred to make some more appear since one wasn't enough, but if she wanted to start the conversation on good terms, she probably shouldn't do something he didn't feel comfortable with doing, more specifically, she shouldn't use magic. _

_He gave her a curious look as she placed the candle on the floor in front of them, and carefully followed her moves before she finally sat down besides him, bringing her knees to her chest. _

"_I meant to ask you earlier" she began, leaning against the bed and looking straight at him "How did you get here?" she felt his sharp intake of breath, as the music kept playing in the background. He didn't say anything for a while, and Yazi began to worry she had touched a sensitive topic, until he met her gaze, which erased all of that. _

"_The shadow brought me, although I wasn't the first choice" she gave him an interested look, but kept quiet "It meant to take one of my friend's little brothers, but that would have tore apart her family" Yazi nodded, encouraging him to continue "I didn't want that to happen, so...I took his place"_

"_That was very kind of you" the girl complimented with a smile. He must have really cared about that family if he had sacrificed himself to keep them safe. _

"_Thanks" he replied simply, but Yazi could tell his story wasn't over "When I arrived here, I fell into the ocean" he added "And I was rescued by pirates. You might have seen their ship" she nodded once again, as she remembered the lonely vessel floating in the ocean when she first landed on the shore "I stayed with them for a while, but then they betrayed me and gave me up to the lost boys"_

"_What do you mean betrayed you?" she questioned, shifting her position._

"_The lost boys were looking for someone in particular" he began explaining, as the girl looked at him curiously "They mentioned something about the truest believer" he added with a frown "Pan thought it was me"_

"_Are you?"_

"_No" he shook his head "So the shadow kept looking, and I assume that's how it found you"_

"_Considering I was locked in a cage, I'm clearly not what he's looking for either" she replied, only half humourous "What will he do if he finds this person?"_

"_I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good" Yazi agreed, if Peter Pan was looking for someone, it wasn't out of sheer interest. There had to be something else in it. _

"_Well, let's hope he never finds them then"_

* * *

**A quick thing I want to clear up: the heroes don't know that Yazi was a lost girl, they just know that she spent some time in Neverland and met Neal, nothing more. **

**Pan finally appeared! The dynamic he has with Yazi is quite interesting and a lot of fun to write. They're enemies, but they have a lot of history. In the worst way possible. Remember what he warned her about, because that will be super important in the next chapter. **

**I hope you enjoyed reading this! See you soon!**


	16. Turning The Tides

"He still likes his games" Hook commented later that night, after Emma woke them up to tell them she had talked to Pan, and he had given her a map to find Henry as soon as she accepted 'who she really was', whatever that meant.

"What game?" Regina questioned pacing around "There's nothing there"

"If he said there's a map in this parchment, then there is" Yazi spoke up. She was not surprised about this game he wanted to play, Peter Pan was very fond of those. She had to take part in them more than once, and they were experiences she'd rather not repeat.

"Great, if I stop denying who I really am...Whatever that means, then we'll be able to read this thing" Emma stated tiredly. She was sitting behind a rock, where the map was lying, her hands placed in her face as if she was solving a math problem.

"But how do we know Pan won't use it to lead us straight into a trap?" the mayor demanded, emphasising the question.

"Because he doesn't' need to" the pirate stated sternly, standing up from where he had been sitting "This whole island is his bloody trap"

"There's no sign of him anywhere" David announced, as him and Mary Margaret emerged from the bushes.

"Of course there isn't" the younger girl stated in irritation. Typical. He came, gave you a riddle as if he were the Cheshire Cat and then left, a mess in your head.

"Any luck with the map?" her guardian wondered.

"Don't hold your breath" the evil queen snapped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma stated, her eyes never leaving the parchment.

"Don't you see what he's doing? Every second we spend talking about this, is another second we're not looking for my son"

"You got a better idea?" the saviour asked, clearly annoyed.

"Magic" everyone either sighed or rolled their eyes upon hearing her suggestion, which showed they didn't agree with it "If there's a lock in there, I'll find a way around it" she began making her way towards Emma, but said woman placed her hand on the map abruptly, preventing her from taking it, much to her disbelief.

"Pan said it had to be me"

"I'd listen to Emma, love" Hook spoke up, raising his eyebrows "Breaking Pan's rules would be unwise"

"He's right" Yazi chimed in, making everyone look at her curiously "This entire island is a chessboard, and if he said that Emma had to figure it out, then Emma has to figure it out. Because nobody else can"

"What would a kid know about this?" the evil queen demanded, and Yazi arched her eyebrows askance.

"Regina!" Mary Margaret scolded, but the queen just rolled her eyes and said nothing. The girl bit her tongue.

"I agree with both of them" David stated.

"And your magic doesn't exactly have a gentle touch"

"You use it in the map, it might blow up in all our faces"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take"

"Well, I'm not" Emma spoke up, standing up with the map between her hands "And if I'm supposed to figure out this thing, I gotta do what Pan said"

"Great" Regina stated sarcastically, while Snow encouraged her daughter.

"Don't give up" she said softly, approaching the woman who seemed quite conflicted "He's playing a game. You can win"

Yazi wasn't so sure about that.

* * *

"My name is Emma Swan" Yazi stood against a tree. The saviour was sitting on a rock, the map in her hands as she tried to figure out how to unlock it.

"I'd wager the solution to Pan's riddles would be more complicated than that, love" Hook observed, as he paced around.

"It is" the young girl agreed, as she looked at Mary Margaret and David, who both were smiling almost too optimistically as they stared at their daughter.

"Don't hold anything back"

"I'm Henry's mother" she continued "I used to live in Boston, and I was a bails bond person. I'm now the sheriff of Storybrooke"

"That election was a sham" Regina spoke up leaning against another tree, her arms folded, and contributing nothing to the situation, like always "Are we really doing this?"

"If we want to find Henry, yes" Yazi stated firmly, trying to keep her patience, before looking back at Emma "Something else that comes to your mind?" the woman cleared her voice and looked back at the parchment.

"I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming which, apparently, makes me the product of true love" Yazi could see Hook rolling his eyes at this, which made her smile slightly, but she said nothing "I was born in the Enchanted Forest and I was sent through a portal in a tree so that I could break a curse"

"And you were able to break a curse because you're the…" David began, standing up in anticipation, which made his daughter give him a 'seriously?' look.

"C'mon, you don't need to be embarrassed to say it" Mary Margaret encouraged, standing up as well.

"Say what?" Hook questioned, completely at a loss.

"The 'S' word" Regina explained. Emma sat straight, bracing herself. She stared at the parchment for a few minutes, before finally saying:

"I'm the saviour"

Yazi walked closer to get a clearer look at the map, and everyone else did as told, only to find that nothing happened. A collective sigh was heard.

"I don't get it, I'm the saviour, there's nothing I've denied more than that"

"No, it's okay, we'll figure it out" Mary Margaret said optimistically.

"No, you won't" Regina stated, running out of patience and snatching the map out of Emma's hands "But I can"

"No, you can't" Yazi spoke up, getting more annoyed by the minute "You don't get it. We're not playing cards, you can't just cheat the game with magic and actually expect to win. This is not the Enchanted Forest, where everyone will bend to you just because you threaten them" the evil queen arched her eyebrows in surprise at her words "This is Neverland, and the person who runs it is much more clever than the rest of us. If you don't do what he says, we'll never find Henry"

"That's just what he wants us to think" Regina said sharply, which didn't do anything to appease the girl's anger.

"Yazi, maybe she's right" Mary Margaret spoke up, which made the girl raise an eyebrow in disbelief. Why was nobody listening to her?! "Maybe he's just making us stall for time"

"He doesn't _need_ time" she snapped "He owns it"

"Which is why we're not doing this anymore" the evil queen stated.

"Did you not listen to a word I said?" Yazi snapped furiously "If you use magic on that thing, we might as well stay here for two months"

"Forgive me for not listening to a thirteen year old girl when my son's life is on the line"

"All of our lives are on the line, so don't go around feeling too special, your majesty" she replied, her voice full of venom as Regina began to cast a spell on the piece of parchment. After some seconds, it glowed and began travelling through the air, straight into the Dark Jungle "Don't say I didn't warn you" she said dangerously.

This was not going to end well.

* * *

"He's here, I can feel his smugness" Regina stated venomously, once the map Yazi told her repeatedly not to mess with came to a stop just before a clear. David walked to the beginning of the line, and took his sword out.

"Shall we?" he questioned with a grin "We still have the element of surprise in our side"

_I doubt it. _

Yazi thought to herself, but didn't say anything, since people were clearly intent on not listening to her.

"Careful" Hook spoke up "He may look like a boy, but he's a bloody demon" he added lugubriously, before following Regina and David.

"We can do it" Mary Margaret spoke up in encouragement to her two daughters; Emma nodded in agreement before going off, leaving only them two as the girl unsheathed her sword. The woman noticed this "Yazi, maybe you should stay behind me" she suggested, and the girl frowned at her, not happy about it.

"Why? I can fight"

"We don't know what we're up against" she began explaining, but she was wrong. Yazi knew, better than everyone else there "And...It's been a long time since you got into a fight, you could get hurt" she wanted to argue against that. She was completely underestimating her, everyone seemed to have a knack for doing that since the first moment they set foot on Neverland. But after everything they went through, she would've thought that at least Mary Margaret knew what she was capable of doing. Apparently not, since she believed that a girl who spent six months running from the police and stealing from people needed handholding.

But before she could say anything else on the matter, Emma called them from ahead and Mary Margaret hurried to catch up. She stayed behind for a few more seconds, Pan's words ringing in her head.

_You know more than they do_. _It's going to be bothersome, trust me._

"Henry!" she heard Emma's voice, which pulled her out of her thoughts, and made her sprint towards the rest of them.

They were in a camp, certainly, though it was empty. But there was a single person standing far from them, on a peak, and he had the same clothes as Henry.

But when he turned around, it wasn't him.

"Hi, Emma" Pan greeted them, turning around with his signature smirk plastered on his face. The mood died down as everyone realized the mistake they had made, but all Yazi could think of was 'I told you'.

"Where the hell is Henry?" Emma snapped.

"You broke the rules" Pan replied, ignoring her question as he walked around the ledge he was standing on "That's not fair. Bad form. You really should start listening to the Golden Child" said girl opened her eyes wide upon hearing him calling her that.

How did he know? She never mentioned anything about it when she was in Neverland, the only one who knew was Bae, but it would be dumb to think he'd mention it to Peter Pan.

"Oh, don't give me that look, Yazi" he kept speaking "We've known each other for a very long time, you think you would have ended up here if I didn't know you had magic?" so he knew. He knew the whole time that she was in Neverland, that she was the Golden Child "But unfortunately, you weren't what I was looking for"

"Give Henry to me" the blonde woman demanded, as if that would had worked.

"Sorry, can't" he replied, coming to a stop in front of a clear "Don't you know? Cheaters never win" he grinned wickedly, and soon all the lost boys were behind him, ready to fight the heroes.

"I knew it" Yazi muttered under her breath. If they had just listened to her in the first place, then none of that would have happened. But because, for some reason, she didn't have a say on anything, they were now trapped in this situation, surrounded by the lost boys, and no closer to getting to Henry. They were just wasting time fighting these people.

"Watch out for their arrows" Hook warned, as everyone got ready for a fight, including Yazi, because after Mary Margaret didn't listen to her, she was not going to listen to Mary Margaret either. It was a two way street "They're laced with dreamshade"

And so, it began.

Ignoring her guardian's call, she ran up to one of the boys shooting arrows, and hit his shoulder with the handle of her sword, before pushing him away. She deflected more arrows coming her way, until David took the archer down. Someone hit her back from behind with the tip of a staff, and when she turned around, she grinned.

"Well, there's a familiar face" she said, delivering a blow that was blocked.

"Nice to see you again, lost girl" he smirked through their crossed weapons.

"It's been a while, Tom" she said back, pushing him away with her sword as he stared at the boy who was supposed to guard her when she first arrived to Neverland "I hope you've gotten better at guarding cages" she added mockingly, before kneeing him in the stomach "You are clearly still terrible at defending yourself" she declared, turning the sword in her hand.

"Yazi!" she heard someone calling, and when she turned around she saw David was standing in front of her. She watched him deflect an arrow that would have gone straight through her head, but she couldn't thank him. She was still mad, _very_ mad.

"Where's Henry?! Where is he?!" she heard Emma roar, and when she turned around, she found her hovering over a boy Yazi recognized as Hiram. She seemed ready to punch him. But then, her face shifted, as if she had just realized something, and got off the floor. Pan whistled, and Yazi recognized it as the sign for the lost boys to go back to him. And that's what they did, including the kid Emma had thrown to the floor.

"Remember what I told you" Pan began, approaching her "That map will show you where Henry is, only when you stop denying who you really are" Emma stared at him askance, standing straight "I'll make sure to send Henry regards" he added cockily, before disappearing into the jungle, and taking his lost boys with him. Silence.

Yazi bit her tongue once again, and sheathed her sword as she began to walk away from those people.

"What was that, Yazi?!" Mary Margaret demanded, going after her to stop her "I told you to stay behind, that arrow could've hit you" she added, gripping her arm.

"And I told you we shouldn't use magic for the map" she stated, shaking her hand off rudely, completely done with the situation. The woman seemed taken back by her actions, and so did everyone else, which she expected since none of them had actually heard her talking like that "But you didn't listen to me, so why should I listen to you?"

"Lass…" Hook began calling for her, probably to calm her down but she was beyond that.

"You know, there's only two people here who have been to Neverland, faced Pan and are willing to help you find Henry" she began sternly, "Hook and I" she indicated, motioning to the pirate who remained silent "But when he says we should do something, you don't listen because he's a villain, and 'villains are always wrong'. And when I suggest the same thing, you don't listen either because I'm a thirteen year old girl who, apparently, doesn't know anything" the words came out without her even having to think about it, all the anger and remorse she felt was just pouring down "When in reality, you're all very aware of everything I've been through" she looked especially at Regina, who was pretty much the cause of all her troubles, but she didn't falter which only increased her rage "So _I_ think you should all start swallowing your pride and begin listening to the people that actually know what the heck's going on" she finished, and everyone remained speechless, though she did manage to see more than a few surprised glances. She ignored all of them, and began walking away from the jungle.

"Where are you going?" she heard someone question, but she didn't care enough to try to identify who it was.

"As far away from all of you as I can" she replied sternly, without looking back.

* * *

Yazi sat on a stump, out of sight from the rest but close enough to hear them talking (or rather, arguing, since that was all they seemed to be able to do) about some fairy they wanted to find, and she could only assume that was Tinkerbell. She had never met her or even seen her when she was in Neverland, maybe she had arrived after she left, but every kid in the Land Without Magic knew who she was.

She hoped, if she was actually in Neverland, that she was a bit more bearable than the rest of the adults, because she didn't know if she could take another annoyance. She was very irritated as it was, and they knew that, so that's why they hadn't made any attempt to talk to her. She didn't want to hear it either, they were probably going to underestimate her again. Just because she was thirteen, it didn't mean she had no idea what she was saying or doing, especially in a place like Neverland. She knew way more than they did.

"Tough day?" someone asked before she realized who she was beginning to sound like, and when she looked up from the ground, she saw the one and only Peter Pan leaning against a tree. He seemed to love doing that.

"Your face is not making it any better" she spat out venomously, making him snicker in amusement.

"I wasn't expecting it to" he replied simply, approaching her but she remained motionless, not wanting to keep her eyes off him. He could do anything if she looked down for even a split second "I hate to be the devil's advocate, but I told you it would be difficult working with them" Yazi knew he was referring to the adults, and she also knew he was most definitely not sorry "Especially since all of them are used to playing by their own rules"

"Sounds familiar" she said with a very fake smile.

"Ah, but it's different" he replied, making her frown, wondering what on earth that was supposed to mean "See, Golden Child, I always _follow_ my rules" he added "And if they don't stick to them, then finding Henry will prove to be much more difficult than they anticipated" that was what Yazi had been trying to tell them all along, but, of course, they hadn't listened, and that was exactly the problem "That's what I like about you, lost girl. You always play by the rules, but still manage to add a twist of your own. It's entertaining to watch"

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" she asked unimpressed.

"Take it as you may" he stated simply "My offer still stands" it was then that Yazi remembered the deal he had suggested, with the adults behaving like morons she had completely forgotten about it.

"I'm not staying with your lost boys" she refused sharply, folding her arms in disapproval. She felt the sword in her belt hitting her thigh, and it was then that she realized who was standing in front of her. She couldn't believe how comfortable she had been so far, it scared her.

"Who said anything about staying?" he questioned, which took her by surprise.

"What?"

"All I said was that I could take you to Henry, I never mention you had to stay" he replied, and Yazi realized that it was true. But something was definitely off.

"You're going to make me stay" she said skeptically, shifting in her spot "What is it? A magic barrier that prevents people from leaving your camp? A spell you cast over anyone that sets foot in it?" he smirked sardonically.

"The lost boys are with me because they want to, nobody's forcing them" he explained, taking some steps back "And I'm not gonna force you either"

* * *

"We gotta tell Yazi so we can get moving" Mary Margaret indicated to Emma, once the piece of parchment revealed a map to the camp, after a very hard confrontation with the truth "I'll go"

"Maybe I should instead" Hook spoke up, earning him more than a few confused glances "No offense, but she's not exactly in good terms with either one of you"

"What's that supposed to mean?" David questioned sharply.

"The pirate's right" Regina chimed in, and everyone looked at her curiously "Have one of us go, she might just yell at our faces. And I don't know about you, but I'm not in the mood to deal with a moody teenager" she was right, and they knew that. Yazi seemed to be angry at everyone but Hook. He was the best option to get her to come back.

"I'll be back" Hook spoke up, seeing everyone was in agreement, before walking towards the cove where the girl was "Lass, Emma figured out the map" he spoke up, announcing his presence before she could see him "We're ready to rescue the boy" no answer "Lass?"

Stepping into the cove, he was expecting to see the girl practicing her sword fighting, or silently sitting, as she thought about how unfair her family was being to her, and he had to agree with that. But all he found was a lonely tree stump, no sign that anyone had been there in the first place.

Yazi Scarlett was gone.

* * *

**Dun-Dun-Dun.**

**So Yazi's gone, you think she willingly went with Pan or he kidnapped her? Thoughts on their conversation? I really enjoyed writing it, their dynamic is incredible and I love Peter Pan, so the more I can write of him, the better. In fact, my rewatching of season 3A in order to write this was mostly just me admiring how hot he was for eleven episodes. I'm sure many of you can relate, don't tell me otherwise!**

**And the flashbacks are back in the next episode, I'm not entirely certain how many more I will write, but we're getting to the ending of Yazi's adventures in flashback Neverland, the ones that are relevant to the story at least. Of course a lot more happened to her there, but I would have to write an entire book to include all of it. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**


	17. Risk Taker

Yazi followed Pan through the island on the way to the camp, wondering if the rest had already noticed she was gone. They probably had.

She knew taking Pan's deal was the stupidest thing she could do, he was definitely planning something and she was falling right into his trap, but she also knew what spending so much time in Neverland alone could do to someone, and she didn't want Henry to lose faith, especially because that would make it so much easier for Pan to manipulate him into doing whatever he wanted him to do.

She didn't know if the Neverland king was being genuine when he told her she could leave whenever she wanted, but it didn't matter as long as she could buy some more time for the rest to find them, or, at least, find Henry.

Yes, she was mad at them still, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to cooperate in the search, especially if there was something that only she could do. In that sense, taking the deal was the best thing she could've chosen. It wasn't just because she felt like taking revenge for being underestimated, or even to prove she was capable of taking care herself. She knew she could, and that was all that mattered. This wasn't about her, but about her best friend. And no matter how angry everyone's attitude made her, she would never join Pan, not even in a million years. They didn't have to worry about that, and she hoped that they still had some good senses in them to be aware of it.

"The lost boys will be delighted to see you again" he spoke up from ahead.

"Sure…" she replied meekly "If 'delighted' means I'm going to be the flag again" she added, remembering how one time in Neverland they played capture the flag, and she was what the teams were supposed to look for.

He didn't say anything, but she could practically feel his signature smirk plastered on his annoying face.

"As amusing as it would be watching you stumble over your own feet for half an hour, that's not in the plans" he replied, and she couldn't help rolling her eyes at the obvious mockery.

"Oh, because walking free through the island will probably get in the way of your evil scheme, won't it?" she asked sarcastically "My bad" he just scoffed, and she heard laughter and voices, which meant they had arrived to the camp.

"Welcome back, lost girl" he gave her a look over his shoulder, before stepping into camp. She took a deep breath, and did the same. She didn't know _how_ she'd find Henry, he had only been in Neverland for a day so he shouldn't be so hopeless already, but at the same time, she had no idea what Pan had told him. About why he was there, what he wanted him to do and what it'd take to do it. She was going to tell him everything she knew, of course she would, but there was no way Pan wasn't aware of that.

The fact that she didn't know what he was planning with her unnerved her to bits. He could murder her in her sleep and she would be the only one to blame.

The camp went silent as soon as she stepped in, and quickly scanning the area she noticed Henry was safely (or as safe as someone could be in Neverland) sleeping in one corner, at the bottom of a tree, his coat and scarf lying besides him.

She focused on faces. She recognized many of the lost boys, and by the look in their faces, they remembered her as well. There were some new people as well, but they didn't look as confused as she thought they'd be. They knew about her, somehow.

"I'm sure most of you remember Yazi" Pan began speaking, making everyone look at him. It was disturbing how much respect they held for him, it made her wonder if he brainwashed them or something like that. It wasn't normal "The very first lost girl" she could feel all eyes on her, but she was too uncomfortable to keep their gazes, so, instead, she chose to look around the camp.

There were several tents and a bonfire in the middle, though the fire wasn't lit; that would come later, if they still held the parties they used to hold. All the boys were holding weapons, ranging from sticks to mazes to a couple swords. A stash of arrows was leaning against a tree, along with bows for those who knew how to use them.

"She decided to pay us a visit" he explained, and the girl could only think how much of an understatement that was, but didn't comment on it "So treat her like you would any other lost boy" that could be both a terrible idea or slightly comforting, since there was a very slim chance nobody would bother her while she was there. And when she thought about the fact that Emma and the rest were roaming around the island, she was fairly certain the lost boys weren't allowed to leave camp unless stated otherwise. Which meant no capture the flag, no hide and seek and no cliffs thankfully.

And just like that, everyone went back to their activities.

She watched cautiously as Pan walked over to the tree with the bows, and grabbed a crossbow, before making an apple appear in his hand.

"Let's go wake up our guest, shall we?" he spoke up, and it took her a second to realize he was talking to her. She didn't say anything, and he probably hadn't expected her to do so either. She just followed silently as he approached Henry, and made a bird noise that in any other circumstances and done by any other person she would have considered funny.

"Wake up!" he ordered, and she could see Henry pretty confused as to what was going on, as the last traces of sleep left his face. She was glad he seemed to have had a good sleep at least. He hadn't noticed her yet "Catch!" he tossed the apple to him, but Henry just stared at it unimpressed as it fell at his side.

"I don't like apples" he admitted, still lying down, looking up at Pan.

"Who doesn't like apples?" he questioned, approaching him.

_Someone who's been poisoned by it for starters._

She thought to herself.

"It's a family thing" he chose to say instead, which made her smile slightly.

"Well, don't worry" Pan chuckled slightly, before squatting down before him "They're not for eating. It's for a kind of game" Yazi bit her tongue, 'game' usually meant something fun and entertaining, but in Neverland its meaning changed entirely. Nothing good could ever come out of Pan's games "A really fun game. I call it target practice" yes, definitely not good "And you've got an audience" he added, before moving aside to reveal Yazi. They locked gazes, and Henry's entire demeanor seemed to light up upon seeing the girl.

"Yazi!" he immediately called, a smile in his face which brought one on hers as well.

"Hey, stranger" she greeted, walking over to him and pulling him into a tight hug, which he returned with just the same strength.

"What are you doing here?!" he questioned in disbelief once they broke apart.

"It's a very long story"

"Are my moms here as well?"

Even though the lost boys were talking in their own little group pretending they weren't looking at them, Yazi knew better. She knew they were attentive to anything they might say or do, their every word and action, so they had to be careful.

"Let's go to a quieter place and I'll tell you everything"

* * *

_Yazi woke up with gasp, her mind going a mile per minute, a tear streaming down her face as a terrible sense of gloom set in her heavy heart. It was dark, but by casting a quick glance to the outside of the cave, she could more or less tell it was very early dawn. _

"_Nightmare?" she heard Baelfire's voice besides her, which lowered down her pulse almost immediately, until it reached an almost regular rhythm. The effect the boy had on her was incredible, he could calm her down in a jiff even if she couldn't see him. Just knowing that he was there with her was enough. The fact that she wasn't alone in that dreadful place was the only thing keeping her sane at that point. _

_Neverland was very different from the Land Without Magic, and she wasn't entirely sure she would have been able to endure Pan's 'games' and the lost boys constantly harassing her had she been by herself. She was so incredibly grateful to have crossed paths with someone like Baelfire. Even if she had to stay there for all eternity, unless Pan suddenly discovered the gift of kindness and allowed them to leave, at least they were together. They had each other. _

"_Yaz?" his soothing voice pulled her out of her thoughts "You okay?" she turned to meet his gaze, and found that he was leaning against a nearby wall, cupping an object with his hands, but there was little to no light so she couldn't really tell what it was. _

"_Yeah…" she trailed off, rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm her body up. _

_She didn't quite know how much time had passed since she arrived to Neverland; in the beginning, she counted every single day, not willing to give up the hope of escaping the island. But then those days became weeks and those weeks became months, so she stopped. It was torture watching time pass by and not being able to do anything about it, it was much easier to forget that such a thing existed. It made it less painful._

_From the moment she set foot in that place, she had been having nightmares. About her time in Manhattan, in the Enchanted Forest, about Snow and Rumplestiltskin, but most importantly, about her parents. Those were the worst ones. She didn't have them in the Land Without Magic, probably because she was always too worried about surviving to remember her home, but now that she didn't have to worry about it as much, they haunted her like a ghost. _

_At first, she tried to hide them from the boy so he wouldn't be concerned, there were more pressing matters to focus on other than her dreams, but soon enough he began noticing her dark circles and pale skin, her constant stated of tiredness, and figured out that something was wrong. So she didn't have any other choice but to tell him. _

"_It was my parents again" she admitted, beginning to recall the nightmare she had just woken up from. She saw them reaching towards her, asking for her help before being engulfed by the queen's flames, or having their hearts crushed to dust, but she was nailed to her spot, without being able to do anything other than watch. Then, it would change to images of them, screaming at her that she should have saved them instead of running away. Which lead to a whole lot of crying, both, in-dream and out of. _

_She heard Baelfire leaving the object he had been holding on the floor, before moving to sit besides her. Their knees brushed, but she didn't want to move. _

"_You know, what happened to your parents is not your fault" he stated quietly, as she blinked, to try to get used to the darkness in order to distinguish his face clearly._

"_But it feels like it" she replied, almost about to whisper "I keep thinking that maybe I could've done something to prevent it"_

"_The only person to blame here is the queen" he kept assuring "It was her that went after you for no reason"_

_Yazi bit her lip, thankful that the lack of lights prevented him from seeing it. She hadn't told him the real reason why Regina was looking for her. How could she? Bae despised magic, it ruined his family, his life almost, and if he found out that the girl he had been living with for the past six months was the embodiment of that which he hated, she had no doubt he would throw her out before she could even blink. And she would be left all alone, again. _

"_I just…" she began "Everytime I see their faces in my dreams, it's torture. It reminds me over and over that they're gone, and I can't do anything about it"_

"_They're not completely gone" he kept saying, and Yazi knew that he probably understood how she felt, since he had lost his mother as well "And whatever image you see of your parents in your dreams, it isn't real. It can't hurt you unless you let it" _

"_That's easier said than done" she admitted sadly, and pretty soon she found her cold hand being enveloped by his warmer one. She glanced at him with curious eyes._

"_You're stronger than you think" he began saying "I know you are, and I'm sure your parents did too" she smiled slightly upon hearing his comforting words, making her feel lighter "I mean, look at you. You escaped through a mysterious door with no idea of where it would lead you, and then you went to become one of the most wanted thieves in the entire city of Manhattan" she chuckled softly as she was reminded of her time there, it seemed so long ago now "You dueled with a guy twice your size and took him down in less than ten minutes. It's no wonder Pan made you a lost girl"_

"_That's not really what I'd call a victory" she replied, referring to that last part, but she knew what he was trying to say, and she appreciated it._

"_Even so, the fact still remains" he stated, squeezing her hand "You are an amazing girl, and your parents must be proud of you. I know I am" her heart fluttered upon hearing those last words "I wish I could've met you back in the Enchanted Forest. Maybe we could've helped each other" _

"_Well, I'm here now" she replied with a small shrug "That must count for something, right?" he chuckled slightly._

"_It does" he admitted with a nod, meeting her gaze. They stayed like that for quite some time, just looking at each other's eyes, ignoring every trouble that the new day was going to bring along with it. For a brief moment, everything seemed okay._

_Before Yazi could begin to imagine what was about to happen, Baelfire cleared his throat and stood up. _

"_I'll go grab some wood" he announced "Mornings are becoming colder" she nodded as she watched him walking towards the entrance of the cave, but before he could disappear from view, she called him one last time._

"_Hey, Bae?" he turned to look at her curiously "Thanks" she smiled, and he did the same._

"_Of course, no problem" and with that, he was gone. _

_She could still feel Bae's touch on her hand. She tried to imagine how the situation could have continued, but in the attempt to do so, her heart began racing wildly and her cheeks felt extremely warm, which forced her to stop before the temperature rose to uncontrollable heights, effectively dismissing the use of the firewood. _

_Then, something tugged at her heart, a strange desire she hadn't felt in a long time. _

_She imagined a lit up candle, and it immediately appeared in her hand. She looked around for anything she could use, and spotted a bowl lying close to her. She reached for it with her free hand and brought it close to her; she gave the entrance of the cave a brief glance in case Baelfire returned, but it didn't seem like it. _

_In the last year, she hadn't used her powers a single time. She almost forgot she had them until she told Bae she came from the Enchanted Forest. She had never found a situation in which they would prove useful, but with the dreams she was having, for some reason, she had the wish to test them out. _

_She could clearly control them now, since she had gotten rid of her gloves a long time ago, and could touch things in Neverland without turning them. The fact that she couldn't use them for a long time probably had something to do with that, she must have gotten used to grabbing things without worrying about it. Old habits die hard, right?_

_She reached for the bowl and wrapped her hand around it. She waited in anticipation, until she felt the familiar tingle in her veins, and soon enough, the bowl was turned into gold. She huffed in amusement, a strange sense of joy in her heart, until she heard something hitting the floor behind her._

_Turning around, she spotted the firewood scattered around, and Baelfire staring at her with his eyes opened as wide as plates._

"_I can explain" she immediately said, standing up as she stared at the boy who seemed completely at a loss._

"_You have magic?" he questioned, and something in his tone made her heart sink. He sounded...Like that lady she encountered when she first ran away from Regina, the one who called her a monster._

"_I…" she began to say, and then sighed. He had witnessed her using it, there was no point in hiding it "Yeah, I do" many other things she could say rushed through her mind, but she feared the would only make things worse, so she chose to wait for him to say something instead. _

"_And you've been hiding it all this time?" he kept asking, his tone monotonous. _

"_I'm sorry" she replied, not even trying to excuse her behaviour. She knew it was wrong to hide something like that from Baelfire, but at the same, after having heard from his own lips how magic ruined him, she couldn't possibly bring herself to reveal it "But my powers are different from your father's" he had told her a while ago that his father was a sorcerer, and that he gave him up for more power by banishing him to the Land Without Magic, to England. Yazi couldn't even begin to understand how someone could do that to their own blood, it was ruthless and cruel. _

_After going through something so traumatizing, Yazi couldn't blame Baelfire for considering all magic evil, or even not trusting her anymore, no matter what she said. She would probably feel the same way had she not been born with magic, but that was not the case. If she hated magic, she would practically be hating herself, and that wasn't healthy. She couldn't do that._

"_It's still magic" he replied sternly, and her heart sank but she tried not to let it show "I can't believe you didn't tell me"_

"_I barely use it" she continued calmly "It doesn't go beyond turning things into gold" and apparently her tears were important for something according to Rumplestiltskin, but she didn't know for what exactly "I'm really sorry" _

_There was silence, as she tried to decipher what Bae was feeling through his expression, but he was a blank page. He wasn't even looking at her either, his gaze was nailed to the floor, and he seemed very conflicted._

_That was probably better than being looked at like a monster, she guessed. She wasn't in any position to complain about it anyway, this was her fault afterall. _

"_I-I need some air" he announced, and all she could do was nod in understanding, as she watched him walk away into the jungle, without giving her a second glance._

_All she could do was sigh._

* * *

"So that's basically it" Yazi stated as she finished telling Henry the story about how his family had ended up in Neverland in the first place. She had left her conflict with the adults out. That was a personal problem that Henry had no reason to worry about, he was the only one that mattered.

"But I still don't understand one thing" he admitted, making her look at him curiously "How come you are here?" the girl remained quiet for a few seconds, trying to come up with a reply that wasn't 'because I'm a reckless teenager' since she didn't want him to worry about that either.

"Since we really had no idea where Pan was keeping you, we needed someone who could figure it out" she began explaining, ignoring the guilt setting in her heart "I was the best option, because I've been here before and I know how things work" Henry nodded in understanding, which meant that he was buying her lie "Plus, I'm technically still young enough to fit here"

"Debatable" he replied jokingly, tilting his head to the side.

"Hey!" she feigned offense "I almost drowned for you, I deserve some respect" she added good-heartedly.

"I'm good"

"Shut up" she said, hiding her grin as she shoved him playfully, which made him chuckle. She was glad they could still joke around despite the circumstances they were in, it meant that not everything was lost. And hopefully, it would never reach that point.

"How did you convince Pan to let you in?" Henry questioned once the moment passed, and Yazi could not lie about that. She couldn't even think of a possible cover for it.

"For some reason he wants me here" she admitted, making him furrow his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"He came to me when we arrived" she began retelling "He offered to bring me here, to bring me to you" his frown deepened.

"What does he want with you?"

"I have no idea" she replied, shaking her head "But it was my only shot, I couldn't throw it away" that wasn't a lie either, she _did_ take advantage of his interest on her to find Henry.

"You know this could be a trap, right?" the boy questioned concerned. Typical Henry, always worried about others. She couldn't help smiling, touched by his words "He could hurt you"

"I know what he's capable of very well" she replied calmly "I've been here before, remember?"

"It's still dangerous"

"I can handle it" she assured "I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me, Henry"

"You're my best friend, I can't not worry about you" he replied, but before she could think of anything to reply to that, Pan quickly approached them. She wondered if he had been waiting all that time, probably.

"Ready to play?" he questioned, but either one of them answered "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to talk later" they exchanged an antsy look, before standing up and walking towards him. They really didn't have much of a choice.

"What's that?" Henry questioned, setting his gaze on the tip of the arrow Pan was dipping in a small jar.

"Dreamshade" Yazi replied instead, her eyes narrowed cautiously.

"You got that right" Pan replied, observing the tip that was now coated in the black mixture "It's a nasty poison" all Yazi could think of was how big of an understatement that was. That thing was death itself "I once heard a story about a man who once shot an apple on his son's head with an arrow"

"Father of the year" the girl said sarcastically, and all Pan did was smirk as he placed the arrow on the crossbow.

"Let's find out if it's possible"

"If you are shooting at the apple, what's the poison for?" the boy asked logically.

"Motivation not to miss" Pan replied simply, and Yazi rolled her eyes. Of course this game was deadly, no mortal danger equalled no fun in Neverland.

Pan then turned towards Yazi, who hated the look in his eyes at that moment. She could only describe it as wicked.

"How's your balance?"

"Why do you ask?" she questioned cautiously, even though she knew exactly what he was hinting at. She had been there long enough.

"Your aim was never good, we should test that out" she arched her eyebrows in disbelief.

"So I'm not a flag, but I'm a target" she concluded, a bitter taste in her mouth "Wonderful" she wanted to say no, but she knew Pan wouldn't take that for an answer.

"Wait, Yazi will have the apple?" Henry asked, clearly concerned, but the other guy just have him a 'yeah, and?' look "Who will do the shooting?"

"You will" he replied, handing him the crossbow.

"But I don't wanna shoot" he stated, as Pan gave Yazi the apple. She reluctantly took it in her hands "I could hit her"

"You won't" Pan assured, before turning to look at the lost boys in some sort of silent signal, which began a chant of 'Shoot! Shoot!'. Yazi scanned them, her heart racing wildly. With this kind of pression, Henry wasn't going to be able to refuse.

She locked gazes with him, and just sighed before taking several steps back, and placing the fruit on her head. She didn't want to, but she had to play along with Pan's games if she wanted to stay there and have a chance to find out why he wanted her best friend's heart so badly. And use that to save Henry, somehow.

"Trust yourself, Henry, go on" Pan kept encouraging, as the chant went on "It's exhilarating" Henry gave her another look, asking for permission of sorts, and she just nodded slightly. The chant quieted down after Pan's signal, and she shut her eyes and braced herself.

She wanted to trust Henry and believe he wouldn't hurt her, but at the same time she was aware that he had never shot an arrow in his life before, and this could lead to all kinds of disasters. She hoped he, like her, also had a terrible aim and ended up miscalculating the landing, as far away from her...Well, everything, as possible, even if he didn't shoot the apple.

She heard Henry letting go of the arrow, but she felt nothing. The boys began clapping and cheering, and when she opened her eyes, she discovered that Henry still had the crossbow in his hands, Pan was holding the arrow meant for the apple, and said fruit was still perfectly intact on her hair.

"I told you it was exhilarating"


	18. The Ways Of Destiny

_Yazi stared at the entrance of the cave for the tenth time since she woke up. It had been like that ever since Baelfire left after the revelation of her powers. She had slept through four nights but he still wasn't back, and she was beginning to worry. But she couldn't go after him, because she was probably the last person he wanted to see at the moment. And she couldn't blame him. _

_She had been aware from the start that if she ever were to reveal her powers to Bae, he wouldn't accept it. And she was ready to deal with that if it ever happened, even though she had hoped it wouldn't._

_On the bright side, he hadn't asked her to leave yet, so she still had some time to enjoy the comfort of that cave before having to move to the camp and into the wilderness. _

_She wasn't worried about the lost boys, they weren't that difficult to handle, and she could defend herself if a situation asked for it. The real problem was Pan, but so far she hadn't seen him hurting any of his boys, physically at least, so that gave her the small hope that he wouldn't do it to her either. She would still have to deal with his stupid games, but she knew more or less what they usually consisted on, so she wouldn't be terribly lost when it came down to playing them. Sleeping in a tent didn't seem so bad either, she had worse in Manhattan. _

_As she kept going through the different things she would have to deal with in the camp and their pros and cons, she heard footsteps. Her thoughts ceased, and she turned to look at the entrance. It was just one person from what she could hear. _

_She stood up, reaching for the sword she had kept from her duel with Rasheed. It technically couldn't be anyone else than the people who lived in Neverland, but she never knew which mood she found them in. Maybe they wanted to duel with her and she needed to be ready. Maybe they were playing capture the flag and needed to find her, unbeknownst to her, which meant she would have to defend herself and escape. _

_Yes, that happened a lot. She had gotten used to it over time. _

_But when the person stepped in, her protective walls fell down._

"_Baelfire" she said quietly, letting go of her sword but staying in place as she tried to read his expression. For starters, he was avoiding her gaze, which couldn't be good, and his lips were pursed, which made her just as antsy. _

"_Can we...Talk?" he asked, and contrary to his face, he didn't sound angry. Just...Tired. Had he been getting any sleep?_

"_S-Sure" she replied, nervously watching as he sat against the wall of the cavern. She did the same, silently, and waited for him to begin speaking, since she didn't know what turn he wanted take the conversation in. _

"_My experience with magic hasn't been good" he began saying, and she just looked at him curiously "Everytime I encountered it, it didn't end well for me or for someone I care about" she nodded in understanding, encouraging him to continue "My own father gave me up for power, and the only reason I'm trapped here is because magic tried to destroy the Darlings" he made a pause "I'm so used to seeing the bad side of magic, that I… never stopped to think it might not always be that way" she arched her eyebrows in surprise upon hearing those words, as he turned to look at her "You've got powers, but you are unlike everyone I've ever met with them. You don't have any ounce of evil in you. In fact, you're one of the kindest people I know" she smiled, hiding her embarrassment by looking at the floor of the cave "I care a lot about you, and I don't want our…" he struggled for the words, and she knew why. _

_To be honest, she didn't entirely understand what was going on between them either, but she did know that she cared about him a lot. A lot more than she cared about other people, including Snow White. She had never felt like that about anyone before._

"_I don't want __**this **__to end" he finally stated, placing his hand on hers, and her heart skipped a beat upon seeing the way he was looking at her. Nobody had ever looked at her before, with so much adoration._

"_Me either" she admitted, intertwining their fingers._

"_I don't think I'll ever be fully okay with magic" he continued "But I can, at least, respect it, especially if it's used by people like you" she smiled, feeling lighthearted, as if a huge weight had just been lifted off her shoulders. And it kinda was what had happened. _

"_So you're not kicking me out?" she wondered, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. He frowned._

"_What? No!" he replied, seemingly outraged she would suggest such a thing "Did you seriously think I'd do something like that?" with his views about magic, it wouldn't have surprised her. But she didn't say anything, she just gave him one amused look for him to figure it out "Fair point" he realized, tilting his head to the side, which made her chuckle. _

"_It's okay" she replied, letting go of his hand to place it inside the pockets of her clothes as she leaned against the wall, more relaxed than before "I'm used to it" she shrugged, and he frowned at her, probably wondering what she meant "You're not the first person I've met who doesn't like magic" _

"_I still don't like magic" he stated, mimicking her position, before looking at her "But I like you"_

* * *

Yazi stood against a tree, her arms folded as she stared at Henry and Pan talking about who knows what some distance away from her.

After the archery practice (if she could even call it that), Pan had taken her best friend away, claiming he needed to show him something, whatever that meant. So all she was left to do was observe carefully, trying to figure out what they could possibly be talking about, but Pan was giving her his back and, therefore, blocking Henry's face, so she couldn't see anything. She doubted it was coincidental.

"Why so pouty, lost girl?" she heard someone asking, and when she looked to the side, she found Devin smirking at her "Upset you were left out?" he added, looking at Pan and Henry immersed in their own conversation.

"Yeah, right" she replied, shifting her gaze back ahead "I'm just not very fond of manipulative people"

"Then why are you here to begin with?" he questioned, leaning against the same tree as her, and fixing his gaze on her face.

"That's none of your business" she didn't know how much Pan had told them about Henry, so she wasn't going to take any risks.

"You got a thing for the boy or something?" he said, kind of mockingly.

"No" she replied sternly. Henry was like a brother to her, she couldn't picture them being anything else "He's just my best friend, and I don't want him to be alone with the lot of you"

"What, afraid we're gonna hurt him?"

"I think it would be very stupid of you to do that, considering how interested Pan is in him" that much was obvious, there clearly was a reason to bring him to Neverland. The lost boys at least had to be aware of that.

"Maybe" Devin tilted his head, looking back at the duo "But that won't stop us from having fun with him"

"When has anything stopped you?" she asked with a fake smile, making him smirk.

"Ah, so you do remember how this works"

"It's hard not to when I was always in the middle of it" she replied logically, and he snickered. He was one of the boys that was already there when she arrived to Neverland the first time, and he laughed at her expense more than once. Almost everyone in the island had at some point.

"You won't be able to stop Pan" he hissed, and she remained expressionless, but her thoughts began to fly.

He definitely knew something, and if he did, so did everyone else. But how much exactly?

She shook her head, trying to ignore his words, and focused back on Henry and the Neverland king, to find the latest standing up to walk away. She could finally see her best friend, who was holding a piece of parchment in his hand, but as soon as Pan was far from his view, he got rid of it by throwing it to the ground.

"We'll see about that" she told the other boy, before going off "Everything okay?" she questioned, taking the spot that Pan had been occupying on the tree log.

"Yeah, I'm fine" he replied with a nod, though he seemed slightly troubled.

"What did he tell you?"

"That I'm supposed to save magic" he said quizzically, and she raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"He's lying"

"You know what he wants?" he questioned, leaning forward on his seat.

"I'm pretty sure it's nothing as noble" she replied logically, giving Pan a glare, as he talked with Felix. They seemed to be as close as when she was there, his loyalty was unbelievable, in the worst way possible "He's a monster, you can't trust anything he says"

"I don't" he replied, shaking his head, making her smile in relief, and her gaze then set on the piece of parchment Henry had tossed to the floor earlier.

"What's this?"

"Something Pan wanted me to look at" he replied, staring at it unimpressed "But I'm not interested"

"Second rule of infiltrating?" Yazi spoke up as she picked up the parchment "The more you know, the better"

"What's the first rule?"

"Never break in somewhere unless you know the way out" she had learned that in her bandit days with Snow, but she had especially put it into practice when she was in the Land Without Magic.

She tried to ignore the fact that she was breaking that very same rule, since she had no idea when or how she would leave the camp. Or if she even was going to be able to do it. She would have to eventually before her family did something stupid, since she also had no idea what Pan had told them about her sudden disappearance. Because he had certainly taunted them about it at some point, he was very keen on doing that.

Ignoring those thoughts, she began to unfold the parchment, and when she saw what was on it, her breath got caught in her throat.

"What is it?" she didn't reply, she just showed it. His eyes opened wide "That's...That's me" he stated in disbelief, grabbing the parchment from her hand. And indeed it was, it was a picture perfect drawing of him. She doubted it was done by regular hands "He said he had been expecting me" Yazi arched her eyebrows.

Could it be…?

"What else did he say?" she replied, try to pry more information. She didn't want to freak him out unless it was necessary, or until she knew for certain she was right.

"He knew about the curse" she frowned, not at all surprised but still wondering how he managed to find that out "He told me that I'm some kind of savior" he added, thought it sounded more like a question, and she nodded, encouraging him to continue "And...when he first found me, he also said that I had the heart of the truest believer" she opened her eyes wide, and sighed.

She wasn't wrong then, he was that 'special person' that Pan had been looking for from even before Bae and her arrived to Neverland.

"It doesn't surprise me" she admitted, shaking her head which caused him to frown, probably confused as to what she was talking about "Do you know what I admire the most about you?" she wondered, making him look at her curiously "That despite people telling you you were crazy countless times and trying to feed you lies, you never stopped believing in us" he smiled "No matter what happened, you were set on making Emma break the curse and help everyone realize who they were. And you did. At the expense of your own life" she paused, and then added good-heartedly "And almost giving me a breakdown" he chuckled slightly, probably remembering the same thing she was, the apple turnover. That seemed so long ago now "And you are still believing in us" she added in a more serious note "You're believing in Regina despite everything she's done. And that's something that not everyone can do" she stated, which she knew sounded harsh, but it was also the truth.

The evil queen had hurt a lot of people in one way or another, and because of that, nobody was going to forgive her so easily. Or move past it, even if she did get forgiveness at some point, which didn't seem _that _likely at the moment.

"And even when you had never seen your dad in your life, the moment you met him you trusted him, when any other person wouldn't have" her heart sunk as she thought about Neal, but she didn't let it get to her "You are _very_ special, and I knew it from the moment I met you. I only realized why afterwards, once my memories returned" she paused, gathering her thoughts "Pan is right, you _are_ the truest believer" he opened his eyes wide, surprised at this confirmation.

"So he's telling the truth"

"Yes, but not for the reasons he claims" she continued, insistent on emphasizing the fact that he was evil. A bloody demon, like Hook had claimed. Henry needed to carve that in his mind; whatever he said, he could not be trusted "I don't know exactly what he wants to do with you, but I'm positive it's not to save magic"

There was a silence between them, as Yazi tried to figure out whether he was disappointed or grateful about finally knowing the truth.

The reason she hadn't told him about it before arriving to Neverland was because she didn't want him to worry unnecessarily. She figured Pan was going to find him eventually, he never gave up, but it would have been terrible for her best friend to be constantly thinking about that, and not being able to do whatever he wanted to do because he had the weight of someone like Pan looking for him. She meant to avoid that, it wasn't healthy.

"How do you know about it?" he questioned, breaking the silence.

"It's the reason Bael-I mean, your father- and I ended up here in the first place" she admitted "Pan thought it might be us, but when proven wrong, we were stuck here for months. Decades in your dad's case"

"Did you know him well?" Henry asked quietly, and she smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I did" she nodded in agreement, as the memories he had with him on Neverland began to play in her head like a movie.

Usually, it took years for two people to know each other entirely, but when they're stuck in an island in the middle of nowhere, circumstances are bound to push them together. And that's exactly what happened.

* * *

"_I was thinking" Baelfire spoke up, one day him and Yazi were in the cave after having practiced some sword fighting against each other. _

"_That's never good" she joked, which made him chuckle._

"_Just listen" he stated, a smile on his face that mirrored the girl's "Pan doesn't know about your powers, right?"_

"_I think so" she replied with a frown, hoping she was right. Some time had passed since the revelation of her powers, and it was so nice to be able to talk freely with him about it._

"_And it's best it stays that way" he stated, and she nodded in agreement "So...Maybe it's time for us to find a way out of here" she looked at him with a frown, not disliking the idea, but knowing it wouldn't be easy to accomplish. _

"_You mean, other than hoping Pan discovers the gift of kindness?" she knew that would never happen, but nothing else came to her. _

"_Exactly"_

"_It's very difficult, Bae" she stated, shaking her head "Not unless a bean falls from the sky, or a magic door suddenly opens. You know we can't cross realms otherwise"_

"_There might be another way" he admitted, and she raised an eyebrow curiously._

"_I'm listening"_

"_Come, I want to show you something" he urged her closer, and she left the book she had been reading on the ground before approaching him on the other side of the cave "Remember this thing?" he asked, holding the object she had seen him with so many times as she sat down next to him._

"_A coconut" she stated, as he held the two halves of it, one which had some holes in it. _

"_It's not just that" he shook his head "Can you pass me the candle over there?" he gestured to small one lying close to her, and she did as told. Then, she watched him as he walked over to the torch hanging from the wall, and lit up the candle with it, before putting the torch out. She observed silently as he knelt besides her, placed the candle inside one of the halves and placed the one with the holes on top, effectively sealing it. Some of the light from the candle inside trespassed the holes, illuminating the ceiling. She followed it, only to find that it had revealed something that had been there all along._

"_Stars" she breathed out in awe, as she gazed at each and every constellation drawn there._

"_A star map" he corrected, as he placed the coconut on the ground and looked up as well "It's our way out of here"_

"_You can read it?" she questioned, looking at him, as some of the star dots shone on his face. She assumed the same was happening to her._

"_When I was on board that ship, I learned a few things" he replied, shrugging it off "Navigating for instance" she smiled, impressed he had such a skill, as she looked back at the map. Her eyes got lost in the shining constellations and bright stars, as she went over them again and again "I can teach you to do it as well"_

"_Really?" she looked back at him. His eyes seemed to be shining brighter._

"_If we're going to get out of here, you'll need it too" he replied firmly "I can't do this by myself, Yaz"_

"_You don't have to" she stated, placing her hand on his "You never had, I'm just wondering if I'll be able to figure this out" she added, talking about the star map. _

"_Not by yourself" he said logically "I need to teach you the code first"_

"_You coded it?" _

"_I can't have just anyone discovering it" he replied. A sound decision. _

"_So I take it I'm not just anyone" she commented, before she even realized what she had said. And when she did, she opened her eyes wide in horror, looking at him worriedly, hoping she hadn't made things awkward. He seemed perplexed, and she smacked herself imaginarily. _

_Way to ruin things, Yazi. _

"_You didn't realize it before?" he asked instead, which left her speechless. Out of all the things he could have said, she didn't expect him to say __**that**__ "Why do you think I told you so much about me? Or why I didn't get angry at you when you told me about your powers?" she remained silent "I wanted to, but I couldn't. I thought it made it clear that day when I returned" she suddenly realized what he was talking about; when he said 'I like you'. It warmed her heart, she just didn't think he meant it in that way in that moment. _

"_You weren't exactly direct with me" she replied sheepishly, avoiding his gaze, and he just shook his head in amusement._

"_But don't you think it's a bit obvious at this point?" he asked, looking at their intertwined hands "We're not just friends"_

"_I know" she replied, she had realized it a long time ago "I just…" she paused, trying to figure out how to put what she was feeling into words "This is a first for me"_

"_I've been surrounded by a group of boys for centuries, so you're not alone" he admitted, and she smiled slightly as he squeezed her hand._

"_We'll figure it out then" she suggested optimistically, and he nodded in agreement._

"_But in order to do so, we gotta get out of here first" he stated, as he stood up to grab something, but she stopped him._

"_Wait" she called, pulling his hand slightly. He turned to look at her curiously. She pressed her lips tightly, before standing up and approaching him silently. He said nothing. Her heart began thumping wildly._

_She took a deep breath, braced herself for what she was about to do, and leaned up._

_It took a few seconds, but his lips finally met hers, and they shared a tender kiss underneath the bright star map, the reflection shining down on them. It didn't last long, merely a jiff, but it was enough to leave a wide smile in both their faces. _

_But the moment broke when spotted something out of the corner of her eye, a red gleam, coming from outside of the cave,_

"_What's that?" she wondered in a frown._

"_What's what?" she heard him asking behind her. Was he not seeing it?_

"_That light" she replied, before hurrying to the entrance._

_Outside, night had set. She didn't know when that happened since merely a few minutes ago it was daytime, but she was too focused on another thing to question it. _

_The moon. It was shining up in the sky in all its splendor like every other night, though it was no longer white, but blooded red, and it seemed to be looking at her. She felt the strangest twinge in her stomach. _

"_What's going on?" Baelfire asked, finally reaching her._

"_The moon" she replied, looking at him, still in disbelief._

"_What about it?" _

"_It's red!" she indicated, it was too obvious to miss._

"_No, it isn't" he stated, shaking his head, and looking at her in confusion._

"_Yes, it-" she looked back at the sky, only to find that it was white again "What?"_

"_Are you okay, Yazi?" he asked, concerned, but she wasn't. She didn't know what had just happened. _

"_I don't understand" she breathed out, meeting his gaze, but he was looking somewhere else._

"_Wait, it seems to be pointing at something" Baelfire realized, and when she turned to look at the moon, indeed she noticed that a white beam was trespassing the cave. She followed him as he went to investigate, her thoughts still racing "I've never seen this before" he commented, as he arrived to whatever the moon seemed to be shining on. _

"_What is it?" she asked, not being able to see since Baelfire was covering it with his body. _

"_A small hole" he replied "And there's…" the phrase lingered incomplete in the air._

"_There's what?" Yazi demanded "What's going on?"_

_He didn't answer, he just turned around holding a small object in his hand for her to see._

_She gasped._

_A magic bean._

* * *

**Like always, the flashbacks end up being too long for me to include all the ones I want. My idea was for them to end in this chapter, but that did not happen. I can guarantee that the next one will definitely be the last one. **

**A suggestion to continue reading the following chapters; the red moon is not important as of right now, but it will be in the future, so keep it in mind. **

**Also, Bae and Yazi kissed! Thoughts on that? And the bean? How did it end up there? Was it Pan or something else?**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the next one!**


	19. Abandoned

"Are you joining the party tonight?" a voice called, and when she turned to look at the side she saw Felix and another boy she recognized as Jace approaching her. Henry was still sleeping at her side, as she sat against a tree.

She had no idea how much time had passed since she arrived to the camp, because she hadn't seen daylight a single time. She wondered if that was part of Pan's manipulation; he could mold the island however he wanted to, so it wouldn't surprise her if he was doing that to make everyone lose the sense of time. It felt like it just wasn't going by.

What she did know was that her family was probably looking for her and Henry, and if Pan was telling the truth, she could just leave, but she didn't want to abandon her best friend there, even though she knew he probably wasn't going to be able to escape.

"I'd rather trip head first into a volcano" she replied sternly, folding her arms and glaring up at them.

"That can be arranged" Felix stated, and she rolled her eyes as Jace snickered, clearly amused.

"You're no fun, lost girl" someone else chimed in their conversation, and when she looked ahead, she found Hiram.

"She never was" Jace commented unimpressed "Even before, she used to always sit in a corner and just glare"

"Unless she was hiding with her little boyfriend" Hiram added, looking at the other boys "What was his name? Baelfire?"

"Like you care" she spat out venomously, rolling her eyes.

"I bet you miss him a lot" Jace said, and even though his words seemed sympathetic, it was clear he was mocking her about it.

"Surely she doesn't" Felix chimed in, resting his stick over his shoulder "She was the one who left him here in the first place, remember?"

"I didn't leave him" she said between her teeth "You have no idea what you are talking about" upon seeing her reaction, they snickered, clearly amused she was giving them what they wanted to see. A reaction.

"Someone's upset" Hiram observed sardonically, but she just narrowed her eyes at him and said nothing "Oh, c'mon. Is that really all we are going to get? A silent judgement?"

"I have no further interest in wasting an ounce of breath on either one of you" she replied venomously. She wasn't going to give into what they wanted, she was better than that "So yeah, that's all you get"

"Felix!" they heard someone calling, and when they shifted their gaze to the side, they found that the owner of the voice was Pan, and he didn't look happy. Yazi wondered why as Felix walked over to him.

"What's going on?" she heard Henry's voice, as he sat straight and rubbed his eyes to get rid of the last traces of sleep. It seemed that, with Felix gone, the other two lost the interest they had in continuing bothering her.

"See you around, lost girl" Jace stated, before going off with Hiram behind. They looked almost disappointed at her, but she couldn't care less about it. She was not there to please them.

"What were you guys talking about?" Henry asked curiously.

"'Talking' is not the word I'd use" she replied with a sigh "They were being their annoying selves and I couldn't be bothered"

"They called you a lost girl" he observed "What was that about?" Yazi then remembered that she had never actually told Henry what happened when she was in Neverland.

She couldn't mention he had kissed his dad because that would be awkward, even thinking about it was, but maybe she could tell him about everything else.

"I thought you were trapped here" he kept saying "You never told me you were one of them"

"I _was_ trapped" she confirmed with a nod "And because I was trapped, I became a lost girl. But it's merely a title, it doesn't mean anything" he remained quiet, listening attentively "I didn't even spend that much time in the camp with the rest of them"

"But they seem to know you"

"I was in Neverland for six months" she explained calmly "I met them almost daily in the jungle, not to mention I still had to play the games"

"Games?" he frowned.

"You might have noticed how adept Pan is at those" she commented, and he nodded "There was no way your father or I could get out of them"

"I miss him" the boy admitted "My dad" she smiled slightly. He had only very recently met him, but he still felt his absence.

It didn't surprise her, Baelfire had that effect on people, he was quite extraordinary. He didn't deserve to go that way, specially when he was just reconnecting with so many people in his life.

"So do I" she nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Is it always like this?" Henry questioned very late that day, as the lost boys partied around the bonfire, creating a beat with the sticks they were holding. They looked like complete savages.

"Every single day" she confirmed with a nod. The both of them were sitting on a tree log, just observing, and trying to ignore that Pan's gaze was fixed on them "Somehow, they look even creepier than usual" she heard Henry chuckle at her side, which made her smile.

Then, she heard _it _again. And when she turned to look at Pan, she saw that indeed he was playing the flute.

"Does that thing actually work?" her best friend spoke up, and when she gazed at him, she saw he was staring at the instrument.

"You can't hear it?" she asked curiously, shifting to look at him, and he shook his head with a frown.

"Should I?"

"No" she stated promptly, taking him by surprise because of her loud tone "No, it's fine. It's good" it mean that he still had hope that his family would come to rescue him, he still believed, which meant that Pan's plan to make him lose faith was failing. She sincerely hoped her presence had something to do with it.

"What's wrong with hearing it?"

"Only certain people can do it" she began explaining "It depends on the person, but it's usually because they feel lost, unloved or hopeless" he arched his eyebrows in surprise "The fact that you can't hear it means that you don't feel like you belong here. And that's good" there was pause, as a few lost boys yelled in celebration and the flute kept playing.

"Can _you_ hear it?" he suddenly asked. She bit her lip, trying to gather her thoughts and figure out whether she should tell him or not. She didn't want him to worry about it, and she was also sure that Pan could hear her despite the loud music, being the creator of that island and all gave him certain abilities. She didn't want to say anything he could use against her.

Just as she was about to say 'No', a breeze began blowing all of a sudden. She felt smidgens of something that seemed a lot like dust landing on her face, as the torches surrounding them were blown off. She looked around, and noticed that all the lost boys but Pan had fallen down, asleep, including Henry, but she felt nothing.

"A sleeping spell…" she breathed out, wondering why it didn't work for her as she went to hide behind a nearby tree, a strange sensation setting in her gut. Whoever had casted the spell wanted to make her fall asleep, but if they saw that it didn't work, she had a feeling it was not going to end well.

"We have a guest!" Pan exclaimed, and Yazi peeked from behind her hiding spot, to see him standing up from his place and turning to the face the entrance of the camp "No doubt someone who knows how much I like guessing games" she squinted, trying to spot that 'guest', but it was too dark to do so "Who could it be?" he wondered, and by his tone Yazi could tell he already had the answer to that "I guess" he lit up the fire again with his magic, and Yazi opened her eyes wide upon seeing the person "The Dark One" Gold looked impassive, and before he could spot her, she hid again, trying her hardest not to let the light from the fire of the nearby torches reflect on her face, effectively revealing her position "Come to save Henry, haven't you, laddie?" Yazi frowned, trying to wonder how he could possibly find the camp without Pan knowing and changing its place. She was certain he had never been in Neverland before.

Maybe he used one of the boys? Took his heart, forced him to take them there, in a very Dark-One-like fashion. It wouldn't surprise her.

"How exciting. The Dark One, ready to sacrifice his life for his family" there was something iffy about this whole thing. Gold didn't just help people out of the goodness of his heart, there had to be something else in it for him. Something he could get out of rescuing Henry. But what?

Also, Pan hadn't mentioned her being there as well. She realized it just now. She wondered if Rumple even knew she wasn't with the others, probably not, and also if Pan knew that the spell hadn't affected her.

"Speaking of family" he kept going, as Yazi's thoughts kept rushing. She spotted out of the corner of her eye some more light, probably the torch behind Gold "You can come out now, Baelfire" Yazi gasped, covering her mouth and hoping she hadn't been too loud.

She peeked again from behind the tree, and her eyes opened wide when she saw that her old friend was standing there as well, a crossbow in his hand. He looked perfectly well and not at all like he had been shot. She wanted to scream and cry, she couldn't believe he was actually back, but she didn't. She remained quiet, a couple tears happily streaming down her face, as she waited to see what would happen next.

"Name's Neal now" she heard his voice, and felt like crying again. When he went down that portal, he had definitely ended up somewhere afterall. She wondered where, it was definitely no ordinary place if he managed to return to Neverland. He would need magic to do that.

"New name, but the same old tricks" Pan kept saying "I'm just wondering why you didn't let your father use a stronger spell"

"I'm not a killer" Neal replied simply, as Yazi wondered what this was about. What would a stronger spell do to the lost boys, if it wasn't just knocking them out?

"You would only add a few more hours" the boy continued, shrugging it off "You know, just to be really sure _nobody_ will notice you" chills ran up Yazi's spine, pretty sure that was aimed at her. But she wasn't going to test it.

"What are you talking about?" Gold asked, and her heart began racing. The Dark One was smart, he could notice if someone was hiding something, she wondered if he would now as well…

"Does it really matter?" Neal demanded, but she heard no other noise so he was probably still in the same position as earlier.

"It's heartwarming to see father and son working together" Pan kept going, and Yazi couldn't help thinking he was being sarcastic about it "Especially after you abandoned him, Rumple" yeah, definitely sarcastic "This is a real family reunion"

"What are you waiting for?" she heard the Dark One mutter.

"I got this" Neal replied passively, and the she heard the familiar noise of an arrow being shot. She looked for a very brief second, to see that Pan had caught it before it hit him.

"Clever" he observed, before throwing it to the floor "But we've been through this before, Baelfire. It seems you and Yazi have learned nothing" she couldn't help thinking that was some sort of warning for her.

"I remember plenty" her friend replied "That's why I didn't coat the tip" she watched in surprise, but still impressed, as whatever he had used on the arrow paralyzed Pan gradually, leaving no room for movement. She grinned slightly, remembering the squid ink the two of them found in one of their many days in Neverland. Absolutely brilliant of him.

"Grab Henry!" Rumple indicated, and she quickly went back to hiding. She spotted Neal picking up Henry, and placing him over his shoulder. She wanted to reach out to him, but something inside her stopped her from doing it. So when father and son began walking away, they didn't notice her.

"Are you sure you're really saving him?" Pan questioned, still paralyzed from head to toe.

"What could be worse than leaving him here with you?" Bae demanded calmly.

"Why don't you ask your father?" Yazi frowned, wondering what that meant "Sometimes the people we should fear the most are the ones closest to us. Your partner in crime should know about it, Baelfire" she opened her eyes wide, as the realization that something might have happened to Emma sunk in. She was the only person she could think of, the only one Pan could be referring to "She was having a very rough time the first days here, with Emma and all your other friends"

No, he was talking about her. Would he tell them that she was there?

"What's he talking about?" Neal questioned, probably to his father.

"It doesn't matter, we have to get out of here" Rumple indicated and, for once, she thought the same as him. Pan was just trying to play them again.

"That's cold, Rumple" he stated, clicking his tongue "Don't you think your son deserves to know about The Golden Child?"

"Yazi?" Neal questioned, and for a brief moment, she thought he was calling her, but pretty soon she realized that wasn't the case "She's here?"

"Don't listen to him" the Dark One kept saying, and all the girl could do was nod in agreement, hoping her gesture would reach them somehow.

"Is she here or not?" her friend kept insisting.

"Oh, yes she is" Pan replied, since Rumple didn't say anything "She couldn't abandon her best friend, not after what happened last time anyway" Yazi pressed her lips. He was taunting him, like he always did. He knew about her relationship with Neal and was using that to create a reaction "Too bad she wasn't aware of what type of people she was travelling with"

"If you did something to her…" Neal threatened, and Yazi was beginning to worry. They needed to get out of there as soon as possible, before the rest of the lost boys woke up, but there was nothing she could do without giving away her position. Pan was already messing with their heads, while predicting their next move at the same time. Before he was done doing that, Rumpelstiltskin and Neal needed to be gone.

"I'm not the one you should blame" Pan went on, not denying nor confirming his accusation "Try asking your friends, I'm sure they'll tell you" Yazi frowned. That sounded a lot like he had talked to her family, she couldn't help wondering what he said and what they thought. Were they worried about her?

"We need to go now" Gold stated sternly "He's just trying to trick you, the girl is probably safe with the rest" she heard nothing, but when she looked at her side, she noticed that they were both leaving, which made her sigh in relief.

"Don't say I didn't warn you" Pan stated, but they didn't stop to listen to anything else he could possibly say "Enjoyed the show?" she heard him ask once they were gone, and she finally got out of her hideout. She could finally see him clearly, he had his signature smirk plastered on his face, which could never be good "I'm quite entertained myself"

"Why didn't the spell work on me?" she asked cautiously, ignoring his question. He was completely paralyzed, and everyone else was asleep, so she would take advantage of it for as long as she could.

"While it was a very small amount of magic, ordinary humans can't endure it" he began explaining, calmly, as if he wasn't paralyzed, which meant that he definitely had his next move planned out already, like always. She just hoped the spell would earn Baelfire and his father enough time to get to the others. Safety in numbers "But you and I aren't ordinary, are we Yazi?" so it would have taken a lot more magic to get her to fall asleep, that's what she could gather from his words "They didn't expect another magical being to be here" he looked at her nonchalantly "In fact, I'm wondering why she's still here" she knew why, but she was not going to say it. Besides, he probably already had his answer, so it would be pointless "It must have been nice to see Baelfire again" he continued, changing the topic "Too bad he didn't even notice you. But you must be used to that already" she raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Isn't that why you're here?" he questioned, and she noticed that the paralyzing ink was slowly wearing off "You are tired of being ignored by the people you call family, so you decided to take matters into your own hands" while he wasn't that wrong, it wasn't entirely true either. She didn't want to prove anything, she just wanted to rescue Henry.

"You're wrong" she replied, shaking her head, not sure what she was denying exactly.

"Am I?" he questioned in a challenging manner "If you truly want to go back to them, why are you still here?" she bit her tongue "I'm paralyzed and there's no one to stop you from running away"

"That's…" she meant to defend herself, but nothing came to her mind. He smirked.

"Don't worry, lost girl" he stated, finally able to move his body. He straightened up as some of the boys began waking up around her "You have plenty of time to think about it"

* * *

"_How did this get here?" Yazi questioned, staring at the bean Baelfire was holding cautiously. It practically appeared out of nowhere._

"_Does it matter?" he asked, his eyes shining "This is our ticket out of the island" she narrowed her eyes; nothing about the situation made sense, and she couldn't help thinking there was some sort of trap "We need to get out as soon as we can" he kept insisting, and Yazi sighed with a nod. If it turned out to be a trap, at least they tried, which was worse than not doing anything at all._

"_But not here" she stated, and he smiled upon seeing she agreed with him "We don't know how big this thing will be, we need space"_

"_The beach then" he suggested "It's big enough" they came to a silent agreement, and began making their way to the coast, hands intertwined to stick together. _

"_Where are we going though?" Yazi questioned. She had nothing in the Enchanted Forest, and she was sure Bae didn't want to go back there either._

"_I know just the place" he replied, moving aside some branches for her to pass by. She gave him a curious look, wondering where he was thinking of "London. To the Darlings" _

"_You think they'll allow me to stay there?" she asked, not surprised he had chosen that spot. From what she could gather, he was truly happy with that family, so it was no wonder he wanted to go back. _

_Well, it was better than returning to the business of thieving in Manhattan. _

"_If you're with me, absolutely" he nodded fervently "They're the kindest people I've met" she was still nervous, but she trusted him wholeheartedly. _

_It's amazing what so much time stuck in an island can do to someone, she felt she knew him better than any other people she had met._

_When they arrived to the coast, they quickly scanned the are in search of anyone that might stop them, but saw nothing. With one assuring look at Yazi, he threw the bean to the ground and a green portal began opening up in front of them, on the sand, getting bigger and bigger. It was almost like a hurricane, sucking them inside; she had to hold onto Baelfire so she wouldn't trip, and he wrapped an arm around her waist protectively to ensure it. _

"_So how does this work?" she questioned, almost in a yell so he could hear her over the sound of the portal. While she had heard about magic beans, she actually had no idea how they worked; the only portal she had used in her life was a mysterious door with the destination already set by someone else, she doubted this was the same._

"_You just think about the place you wanna go and it leads you there" he explained, and she nodded. He would have to do all the thinking, because she had no idea what London or the Darlings' house looked like "You ready?" she took a deep breath, a million doubts in her heart, but she ignored them by simply nodding "It'll be fine, I promise!"_

"_On three?" she suggested, and this time he was the one who nodded "One!"_

"_Two" she got ready to jump inside, bu something hit her with strength and she tripped. She grabbed onto the first thing her hand found, which was a sharp rock, so as not to fall down through the portal. Some blood trickled down her fingers as she hung from it, but she was focused on something completely different to notice her injury. _

"_Bae!" she cried, as she stared wide eyed at the scene in front of her. _

_The shadow, Pan's shadow, was holding onto the collar of Bae's coat tightly, preventing him from jumping._

"_Let him go!" she pleaded, as she witnessed the boy struggling to get rid of its grasp. _

"_Not yet" the shadows spoke up, almost in a robotic voice, which made a chill ran up her spine. _

_Up until now she had no idea that that thing could actually speak, it made it even more intimidating. _

"_Did Pan send you?" she demanded, her hand slipping from the rock, but somehow she managed to reach for her sword and nail it on the sand with all her strength, using it as support. The shadow didn't answer, but she knew that was probably it; it didn't do things by its own free will, the orders always came from the Neverland king "What do you want?!"_

"_You can go" it kept saying, as her hand began sweating because of her grip on the handle of the weapon; the portal was too strong "But him? Not yet. Not the time" she frowned, not understanding what it was saying, or why. It wasn't the time for what?_

"_I'm not leaving without him!" she replied sternly._

"_You have to" Baelfire spoke up, much to her disbelief. She didn't notice he had stopped struggling a long time ago._

"_What?"_

"_You heard it" the boy continued "Pan is allowing you to leave, you need to" she shook her head, some tears pricking her eyes "You don't belong here"_

"_Neither do you" she replied, her voice beginning to break. He just smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes._

"_I'll find a way to go" he replied "The stars will help me" he winked at her, talking about the little secret about the star map, hidden in his cave "You need to go to the Darlings"_

"_Bae…" she replied, the hand holding onto the rock slipping. She still had the other, but not for much longer._

"_Tell them I sent you" he added "They'll take you in" there was a tight knot in her throat, preventing her from saying everything she wanted to say. Thank him, for rescuing her. For taking her in. For being there for her when nobody else had for a very long time. For accepting her just the way she was, magic powers and all. For caring about her, so much that he was willing to let her go if it meant she would be safe "Take care of John, Michael and Wendy for me" her vision began blurring, and all she could do was nod "I'm glad I met you, Yazi. Don't ever forget that, and don't forget me either, or there'll be trouble" she felt a chuckle coming, but it never reached Baelfire, because her hand slipped before it could. Everything went dark. _

_When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in Neverland. She wanted to look at the area she was in, try to figure out where in London she had ended up, if she was __**actually**__ there, but her eyes were still blurry, the last memories she had of Baelfire still very much present in her mind. The shadow holding onto him tightly. It's spine chilling voice. And Baelfire, smiling through it all, trying until the end to keep her safe. His last words. _

"_I won't" she said quietly, her voice hoarse, to no one in particular "I won't forget you, I promise" she sniffed, sobs threatening to come out at any moment. There was a deep pain in her heart, and when she tried to wipe her eyes, she felt it in her hand too._

_Looking at it, she spotted a wound in the middle of her palm, the one that the rock had made when she held onto it. Blood kept running down through her fingers, and tinting the grass red._

_Grass?_

_She frowned, her confusion replacing the sadness her tears were expressing. Looking up, she saw that there was a forest extending in front of her. She had no idea where she was, but it surely wasn't London. There were no voices, no cars and no other type of noise except…_

_Her frown deepened._

_Thunder. She could hear thunder, as if signaling the arrival of a huge storm. A very strong wind began blowing behind her, and when she turned around, her eyes opened wide in horror. _

_A purple mist was coming towards her, enveloping everything in its way. She had no idea what was going on, but she had a feeling it wasn't anything good. She began shivering, as she tried to distinguish anything around her, but the mist was too thick to do so. She had no clue where she had landed, but she couldn't think about it now either. The first specks hit her face like sand, and she closed her eyes instinctively, covering them with her injured arm for extra protection. _

_Then, everything vanished._

* * *

**And that marks the end of the flashbacks in Neverland. Yazi came back right as the curse was hitting if it wasn't clear, so she didn't have enough time to process anything that happened. **

**Why do you think Yazi is still in the camp? Pan was right, she could have left with Neal but she didn't. Any theories or ideas as to why? I'm all ears!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and see you soon!**


	20. Game Changer

Ever since Neal and Gold had left with Henry, Yazi hadn't moved from her spot on the log her best friend and her usually sat on. When the paralyzing squid ink ran out and Pan could walk again, she hadn't moved. When the lost boys began waking up one by one from the spell Rumpelstiltskin had casted on them, she remained frozen. When Pan began grouping them to go after Neal, she remained motionless. Even when they returned with Henry and Neal was nowhere to be found, despite her worry, she still did not move.

There were two things preventing her from focusing on anything else. Both bad and good.

The good was that Neal was actually alive, he had survived the shooting and falling through a magic portal to who knows where, and was actually in Neverland, which meant that, hopefully, and she really wanted to believe it, he would be reunited with Emma and everyone else, including Henry, if they managed to leave the island safely.

The bad was...She didn't know if she actually wanted to leave. Pan's words had been ringing in her head ever since earlier, when he asked why she was still there. And she didn't have a satisfactory answer, meaning one that didn't make her feel guilty and like a terrible person. Just thinking about it made her blood run cold. She wanted to hate Pan for placing that feeling in her gut, but she couldn't, because she was the only one to blame for that.

"Everything okay?" she heard a warm voice pulling her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to find Henry sitting down in front of her.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she replied, and then changed her troubled expression for a smile "You are finally awake"

"I feel like I've slept for six hours" he admitted tiredly, and her eyes shot open.

Another thing she had done wrong. She had completely forgotten about what she had witnessed moments before.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, standing up, much to Henry's confusion, and the others' as well

"Everything okay?" he asked concerned, and when she noticed everyone staring at them, she sat back down and said in a much lower voice.

"Henry, your dad was here! I almost forgot to tell you!" he frowned, even more confused "I'm so sorry, a lot has been going on"

"What?"

"Yeah, earlier" she insisted "You were knocked out by a sleeping spell, courtesy of a certain Dark One"

"Mr. Gold?"

"Yeah!" she nodded almost too excitedly, glad she was the first person he saw, rather than Pan who would just continue to bluff about his flute and Henry the Saviour "He knocked all the lost boys, and Neal paralyzed Pan with some ink, so they could rescue you" he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Are you sure?" he asked doubtful.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she demanded, folding her arms, and a deep dread set in her heart when she noticed Henry looking at Pan, whose gaze was fixed on them. She could notice his smirk hidden behind the flute, and her eyes opened wide "What did he tell you?" she questioned, trying to recall if she had seen them speaking before he came to her.

Her heart sank.

She wouldn't know. She was absorbed too deep in her thoughts to notice anything else going on around her. She imaginarily smacked herself, realizing she had let her guard down. How many conversations between Pan and Henry had she missed in the past few days?

She bit her tongue, she should have been more careful, she should have been more present for Henry, to prevent Pan from getting in his head.

Another realization sunk. All the stuff Pan had told her from the moment she set foot in Neverland, about her family not willing to listen to her, ignoring her, underestimating her. How he could take her to Henry and wouldn't force her to stay. How she didn't want to leave the camp, why she was still there when she could leave whenever she wanted to….It was all part of the plan to lower her guard, and gain easy access to Henry. She wouldn't be surprised if he was the one who sent Felix and the lost boys to taunt her about abandoning Neal, in fact, she was sure that was exactly what happened. Because that triggered an awful lot of emotions she had kept locked away until then.

If he messed with her head enough, she wouldn't be able to think straight. And that's exactly what happened.

Peter Pan had been playing her this whole time, and she was too stupid to realize it.

"I'm not lying" she kept insisting, she wasn't going to give up, no matter what Henry believed "He was here, he's still here, somewhere. Pan must have captured him when he sent his boys to look for him" that was the only thing she could think of to explain his sudden disappearance and Henry's second kidnapping.

"I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but my dad's dead" he replied, and she looked at him in horror. He didn't believe her, he didn't believe a word she was saying, he thought she was making it up "Maybe it was a dream" that was even worse.

"Henry, whatever Pan told you, he's-" her words were cut off by the tedious flute playing again, but she paid no mind to it. Since Henry could not hear it, she could keep talking to him.

But when she turned to look back at her best friend, he was no longer looking at her but at Pan, a newfound enjoyment in his eyes.

"No…" she breathed out, shaking her head in disbelief, but he wasn't listening to her. Not anymore. He was just approaching the circle of savages, grabbing two sticks that one of the lost boys handed to him.

"You can hear the music now, can't you, Henry?" Pan asked, stood up, a wicked look in his eyes.

"Yeah!" he replied, smiling. The first genuine smile Yazi had seen him wearing ever since she found him in Neverland, and the fact that Pan caused it was the worst part about it.

Henry was giving into the manipulation.

* * *

Yazi decided that what she had witnessed was it. She could no longer fight Pan's influence on Henry by herself, she needed to get back to the others. And if Pan actually kept true to his word, he would notice she was leaving and would let her, since she wasn't taking Henry with her. And with how things were looking, even if she did tell Henry she was going back to his family, it was quite probable that he didn't believe they were there either.

It wasn't his fault, though, and she knew that. Pan was the only one to blame, he was a master manipulator; he managed to fool her, when she had been sure she would be the last person who would fall for his tricks. He was too good, she couldn't deny it, and the only person she was sure wouldn't be affected by his tricks, much to her reluctance, was Regina. But she would never admit it out loud.

"So you're leaving" she heard his voice, and when she looked up, there he was, leaning against the tree with his characteristic annoying smirk, and his arms folded.

"You said I could leave whenever I wanted to" she pointed out sharply, her eyebrows raised. She was half way out the camping area.

"And you can" he confirmed, approaching her. Yazi was ready to attack if he posed any harm to her, even if he was ten times stronger and had magic on his side "But do you really want to?" he added, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously "Or are you trying to escape from something?" he questioned, leaning closer to her, but she was not going to let him manipulate her again; instead, she took several steps back.

"If you hadn't messed with Henry, I wouldn't be leaving" she stated as a matter of fact, doubting he even cared.

"All I did was tell him the truth" he replied, pacing in front of her "He did all the rest"

"The only reason he's listening to you is because you're keeping him from his family" she commented, because she was sure Henry wouldn't listen to his 'saviour of magic' nonsense if the actual saviour was around.

"Well, of course" he stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. And maybe it was, but Yazi was not going to admit to that either "That's part of the game" she rolled her eyes in annoyance, she was beginning to hate that word.

"I'm so sick and tired of your games" she spat out venomously, glaring at him.

"Oh, don't worry, lost girl"

"Don't call me that" she interrupted, but he just grinned and proceeded to ignore her.

"It'll be over soon" she gave him a cautious look, wondering how true that was, and whether it was good or bad "There's just one last move"

"And what is that?" she challenged, and pretty soon she got her reply.

"Stop it!" her heart skipped when she heard a very familiar and distraught voice. Henry's voice. It came from the camp.

She fixed her gaze on the boy, to see him smirking in satisfaction. She bit her tongue to contain her anger at him, before going back to the camp, worried about her best friend, like Pan probably expected her to be. No matter what Henry thought, she would never be able to stop worrying about him. And Peter Pan was using that against her, again.

Sprinting the remaining way back to the camp, when she arrived, she noticed what had made Henry sound so antsy. Devin was holding a stick in a defensive stance, ready to fight him.

"If you can't take this, how are you going to handle what Pan has in store for you?"

"Leave him alone" she ordered, and all eyes turned to look at her. Silence fell over them.

"Oh, look, your girlfriend's here to protect you" one of the boys mocked, and Yazi just glared at him, her fists clenched.

"Yazi, where have you been?" Henry questioned, approaching her "I looked for you this morning and you were gone. I was worried" while she was touched by his words, this was not the time to thank him.

"I had something to take care of" she replied, ignoring everyone' stares, and the teasing that would follow afterwards "I came back as soon as I heard you" she turned to look at the boy "Apparently, Devin doesn't know the definition of 'stay in your lane'" she heard a few snickers and whistling, but she ignored them, trying desperately to nail a hole in the lost boy's head.

"Stay away, lost girl, I was talking to the boy" he kept saying.

"Every second I've spent in this wretched camp, I've tried to avoid conflict" she stated venomously, noticing Devin's smirk. He was definitely enjoying this "But if you mess with my best friend, you mess with me" the mood immediately changed, from enjoyable to just plain entertainment, as every lost boy she could see prepared themselves to enjoy the show "So how about instead of challenging someone who's clearly powerless against you, that seems to be a nasty habit of yours nowadays" she knew that sounded very rough towards Henry, but she wasn't wrong. He had no idea how to use any kind of weapon, so she wasn't lying; he lacked the skills to face against the lost boy, and that's exactly why he was targeted in the first place "You challenge someone whom you could actually lose against" he didn't answer, he just glared "Unless you're scared of being beaten" she taunted, raising an eyebrow "Let's say...By a girl? That would be so humiliating, wouldn't it?"

"Ah, there's the lost girl we all remember" she heard Pan's voice, and pretty soon she spotted him some distance away from the lost boys, behind Devin "Another reason you belong in this island" she decided to ignore his last words, she had enough of those types of ideas "But part of being here implies learning how to fight" he approached them "And the only way to do that, is by practicing" she frowned, wondering what he was trying to get to "I suggest a new challenge" the lost boys looked at him expectantly, and Yazi had a feeling she wouldn't like what he was about to say "Henry should learn fighting, by facing none other than the best dueler here" his gaze set on her "Yazi" in any other circumstances, she would have considered that a compliment, but coming from someone like him all she could do was glare "You became a lost girl by doing just that, didn't you?" he reminded, and her gaze immediately went to Rasheed, who was standing some metres away, his scar present as ever "Let's honor traditions, shall we?" the lost boys cheered, much to her hatred "But it should be even. If you get a sword, so does him" he set his gaze on Henry, who seemed as reluctant as her.

"I've never used a sword" he admitted nervously, as Pan approached him. She expected his answer to be something like 'I'm not fighting her', it was really disturbing how much Henry seemed to be familiarizing with the camp and its deadly events.

"This is Neverland" Pan began speaking as he walked around him "And you have the heart of the truest believer. You can use whatever you want" he came to a stop behind him, and placed his hand on his shoulder "You just need to believe, Henry" he reached out for his arm, and extended it in front of him. All Yazi wanted to do was punch him "Close your eyes, and believe you're holding a real sword" the boy did as told, and all Yazi could do was watch helplessly, but then something else called her attention.

Above and behind the two of them, where the full moon should usually be, she found an empty circle instead. Her eyes opened wide; it was a new moon. Which meant her life force was weak, very weak, and she was supposed to fight Henry in a duel. She wouldn't be able to take even two steps before collapsing, her head aching furiously and her balance uneven. She had been too busy to notice that a whole full moon week had passed. And there was no way Pan didn't know about her weakness. In fact, it probably was because he knew that he decided to make a last move towards her. And if her calculations were correct, she knew where she would end up next. Somewhere nobody would be able to find her.

Quickly scanning the area, she noticed a lonely knife lying close to her, at the bottom of a tree. She took a brief look to the rest, in case they would notice her, but they were too busy observing Henry to do so. So in the blink of an eye, she picked up the dagger and hid it underneath her jeans, inside her sneakers, thankful it was sheathed so it wouldn't hurt her. She had a feeling she would need it later on.

She heard gasps of surprise, and she looked up to see that Henry was indeed holding a sword, several amazed eyes looking at him. But her best friend was the one with the bigger shock, his eyes didn't seem to believe he had just made a sword appear out of thin air.

But it seemed that then he realized what, or who, he was supposed to use it on, and a worried gaze quickly overcame his pride. He hadn't noticed the new moon behind him, and while Pan remained impassive, she knew better.

But unlike the shooting last time, Henry didn't audibly express his concern, he just gave the girl a troubled look, but all she could do was unsheath her own sword and nod silently at him. Whether they fought or not, she was clearly not going to last another night at the camp, so how she spent it didn't really matter.

Besides, the fact that she was weaker than usual, meant that she wouldn't be able to hurt Henry, which comforted her. When she fought, her instincts took control of her and she simply acted on impulse, like she would in any battle.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Pan pushed, too excited for her taste "C'mon!" Henry attacked with no hesitation, and she blocked it, but barely. Not even one blow and her grip was already beginning to falter. He kept delivering hits, one after another, with no real tactic in mind she noticed, which was normal since he had never had a single class on swordsmanship. And he wasn't doing them with much strength either, but her body had been weakening since the moment the new moon showed up, so she clearly could not outrun him. With every blow, her balance got worse and worse.

She began breathing heavily, exhaustion taking over her, so she didn't notice Henry's next attack, and wasn't able to block it. She felt an agonizing pain in her cheek, and it was only when the lost boys began cheering, that she noticed her t-shirt had some drops of blood on it.

She was injured. And Henry was the one who caused it.

She didn't remember such small injuries hurting so bad, it probably had to with her weakened immune system. It would probably take a while to heal as long as there was a new moon.

"Yazi! I'm sorry!" Henry quickly cried, his eyes opened wide in horror as he tossed the sword to the floor and just stared at her, clear concern on his face "I swear I didn't mean to, I-"

"It's fine, I'm fine" she tried to assure, but it was barely audible since her throat was on fire. A pounding headache began to appear. Her ears were ringing, and her hand was shaking. Her grip on the sword completely loosened, and fell to the ground with a loud sound. Everything around her began distorting.

"Yazi?" she could faintly hear someone calling for her, but she couldn't distinguish who it was. Probably Henry, since he was the only one in that entire camp who actually cared about her well being. A figure got closer to her, but she could barely make up who it was. Her sight blurred to darkness.

Yazi crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of her strings, and if Henry hadn't caught her, she would have fallen dangerously close to her sword. He dragged her to the nearby tree, sat against it and placed the girl's head on his legs softly.

"Yaz?" he questioned, almost in a whisper, moving some strands of hair away from her face to see her more clearly. Everything else around him was background noise, all he wanted to focus on right now was on her.

She was really pale. The injury _he_ had caused her was very clear on her face, it appeared deeper than he thought it'd be, which only increased his concern. His heart sank in guilt, he got carried away by the situation and didn't stop to think he could actually hurt her, especially since she clearly didn't want to fight him, which meant she wouldn't attack like she regularly did, with the intent of winning.

He furrowed his eyebrows as he traced the contour of her hand with his thumb absentmindedly, trying to think what could have made her so sick and why she seemed so weak when fighting him.

It only took three seconds for him to realize it.

Looking up, the new moon was indeed in the sky that night.

He felt her shivering despite how hot her skin was, and he carefully maneuvered to take his coat off and place it above the girl's body, so as not to wake her up. But by her ill appearance, it didn't look like she would anytime soon.

"I'm sorry" he breathed out, hoping it would reach his best friend in her dreams, wishing her only happy ones.

* * *

**A cute little scene between Henry and Yazi, I said you would get more of them and I will deliver, I have a couple more planned for this act, so I can actually begin developing their relationship a bit more. But there's still a long way to go before we get to the actual romance. You just need to be patient!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! In the next one we have badass Yazi back, so look forward to that!**


	21. Sneak Attack

Yazi was momentarily confused, with no idea of where she was and how she ended up there the moment she opened her eyes. She didn't remember anything.

But some seconds later, images of what happened flashed through her mind. She was in Neverland. She had dueled Henry under a new moon and had most definitely blacked out, because she didn't recall what happened afterwards.

A single thing pulsed in her head.

_Henry._

Remembering how unsafe her best friend was with Pan now, she sat promptly, but her head hit something, and shook those thoughts off momentarily.

"Ouch" she groaned, rubbing her forehead, and she could finally see where she was. She'd recognize the wooden material and door gap anywhere.

She was back in the cage.

"I knew it" she muttered, last night she had anticipated she would end there, after passing out from exhaustion. She crawled closer to the door, and gazed through the gap. There were three sentries making guard some metres away from her cage, which was an odd number for only one person, but she could not see her sides, so she had no way of knowing if there was someone else.

She also had no idea how much time she had been asleep, it was daytime, but it could either be the day after the duel or three days after.

If she didn't rest enough during a new moon, especially the first day, when she actually went to get some shut eye she could sleep up to four days if nobody was around to monitor her. So she spent most of her time in bed or at home, certainly not in Neverland fighting her best friend to entertain Peter Pan. She shouldn't do any type of physical activity that required lots of strength, therefore, sword fighting was top on that list of prohibitions. But Pan certainly didn't care about her well being.

She reached out to touch her injured cheek, and she noticed that indeed the cut hadn't scarred, it wasn't even close to begin the process. There were some small droplets of blood on her finger when she looked at it. She sighed.

She wasn't mad at Henry, because he didn't mean to hurt her, he had even apologized about it. But she was worried about the fact that he seemed to have no problem, not even a small doubt, about hurting others. She had no idea what type of things Pan had been feeding in his head, but they seemed dangerous enough to get him to agree to duel his best friend. She wondered if he was worried about her now that she was gone, and part of her hoped he was. She hoped he wasn't that gone into the manipulation that he didn't care about her anymore.

When she caused her first injury, she was absolutely horrified. Thankfully, it was to none other than Snow, who assured her over and over that she was fine and that it was part of her training, but that didn't make her feel any better. She almost completely gave up on learning.

And now she had no problem in infiltrating a camp full of armed boys, lead by one of the nastiest people she had ever met in her life. Things really had changed.

She looked down to her waist, to see that she had been stripped off her sword, naturally. There was no way Pan would leave her armed and trapped inside a cage. Much to her disgust, he knew her and knew how she worked, what moves she had and when she used them. And she also knew how _his_ mind worked, which was both a great thing because she could figure out how to sneak around him, and also a terrible thing because she had to think like Peter Pan to do so.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember what the cage looked like from the outside, hoping it was the same as when she was there.

The cage had to been hanging above the ocean, held by a rope. If her calculations were correct, the lock to the cage was to her left. Pan had the only key that could open it, but Baelfire had gotten her out the first time around by smashing the lock repeatedly with a stone.

She didn't have a stone, but…

She reached out to lift the cuff of her trousers, to reveal the dagger she had hidden there earlier. Nobody had noticed it when they dragged her there, or they pretended not to. She unsheathed it, and took a look at the blade; it seemed sharp enough, but even if it didn't she didn't have anything to sharpen it with, so she would have to use it just like that.

She peeked through the gap once again; ahead, the sentries were still lost in their own little conversation, not noticing she was even awake. She set her gaze on the lock, and she could see that part of the rope holding the cage was tied around it. There was no sort of keyhole, so Pan had definitely improved the structure, it made it harder for anyone to escape without some sort of weapon sharp enough to cut the rope. The knot seemed too tight for her to untie it, and both her hands wouldn't fit through the gap anyway.

She stood up as high as the ceiling of the cage allowed her, it was strong enough to hold her weight and not shake around because that would have definitely called the attention, and stuck the hand holding the knife out the gap, and into the rope. She had to shift her arm around quite a bit before she got the perfect angle, and when she finally felt comfortable, she began slicing through the rope. It was thicker than it appeared to. She was a whole lot of minutes, maybe ten or fifteen, cutting and sticking her arm back inside when the sentries turned around. Thankfully the boys were far enough so they didn't notice the slash that grew deeper and deeper in the rope, until it finally snapped silently.

She tied the strap of leather from the knife sheath around her back, placed the weapon in its place and pushed the door open. It made no noise; trying to keep it that way, she looked underneath her, to find that the ocean was a lot further down than she anticipated, and the cage was maybe three or four metres away from the cliff. The metal peg was down there as well; she couldn't go straight towards the sentries because that would be losing the only advantage she had, sneakness; if she took them down, Pan would definitely hear the sounds, so her only option was to jump down, straight into the mermaid infested water. But a jump from that height could kill her, she needed to shorten the distance. She had to lower it down, and she could only do that by getting hold of the rope, which meant she would have to jump towards the cliff.

She placed her foot in the gap at the bottom of the door; it slid open wide through the air, but she held onto the weaved mesh with her hands so as not to fall. She needed the jumping strength she would get from above the cage to have more chances of successfully landing on the cliff.

She placed her other foot in the above gap, and then the other. She jumped to the top of the cage, and it shook dangerously. She held onto the rope tightly so as not to trip, and gave the sentries another quick glance; they still hadn't noticed her thankfully.

She took some steps back to gain even more impulse, still holding on, and jumped towards the cliff. She landed perfectly, and considering she was still as energetic as ever, she quickly assumed several days had passed since the first day of the new moon, otherwise she would have passed out by now.

She approached the metal peg and untied the knot; there was no other cage there but hers. She lowered it down as much as she could, before digging up the peg, and loosely lodging it in the ground, loose enough to tie the rope at the necessary height and make sure the cage wouldn't fall.

"She's escaped!" she finally heard one of the sentries speaking, but before they reached her she jumped on the cage again and looked underneath. She couldn't help grinning, if Yazi Scarlett from thirty years ago, who almost gave up on sword fighting because she hurt Snow, could see what she was doing right now, jumping into a mermaid infested water, she wouldn't be able to believe it.

_You've changed, Scarlett. _

"See you around, boys" she greeted the sentries, giving them a grin, before jumping down.

She slid through the cold water, her limbs freezing momentarily, but since the jump hadn't been too deep, she quickly regained control of them, and swum to the surface.

She looked around for any sort of land, and she spotted a barren piece of coast, surrounded by trees. There didn't seem to be anyone there, it would probably take her one or two minutes to swim towards it.

She dived back down, and took a look inside the water, attentive to any sign of mermaid presence, but she didn't find any.

At least for now, she was safe.

She resurfaced, and began her way towards safe territory, or as safe as she would find it in Neverland.

She was halfway there, when she felt something tugging at her ankle. She sank her head underwater in panic, half expecting to find a mermaid, but she was relieved when all she saw was a seaweed. So relieved, that it took all her willpower not to breath. She reached for her knife and cut the plant off, before coming back up for air and keep on moving. Not so long now.

But, of course, nothing could be perfect.

She was dragged down again, but, this time, there was a much stronger grip holding onto both her legs. Lowering her head, she spotted a mermaid, a vicious look on her face. She took a quick look behind the creature, to see that a couple more were approaching. She shook, trying to kick her down, but all that did was reduce her oxygen by a considerable amount. She tried to move her arms in a desperate attempt to get back up, but with every stroke she sank deeper and deeper. The other mermaids were getting closer. Her head throbbed, pushing her to open her mouth in search of oxygen. She cursed silently, before remembering she had her (stolen) dagger in hand; she gathered all her strength and hit the creature's temple with the handle. She didn't want to kill her. The mermaid didn't budge, and she did it again, stronger this time, aiming at the bridge of her nose. She shook in pain, and Yazi was finally free.

She swam back up rapidly, taking advantage of the momentary distraction. She didn't stop to catch her breath when she reached the surface, she just kept going. She kicked and swam through the water as fast as her tired body allowed her to, not even looking back, until finally reaching the coast. She practically crawled through the soil when she reached it as she coughed the water off her lungs, and when she was far from mermaid reach, she laid down, face up, trying to regulate her breathing. Her clothes were sticky, and she could feel them getting even tackier as her hair wetted them even more.

"Taking a rest?"

Of freaking course he was there.

Sitting straight, she turned around to find Peter Pan and several of his lost boys around him.

"Don't you get tired of following me around?" she questioned in annoyance, her guard up "Shouldn't you be off planning your evil scheme or something?"

"You missed a lot when you were slumbering" he replied, an amused and, frankly, disgusting smirk on his face "I thought I would go off my way to give you an update on your partner in crime" he added, not explaining what exactly 'a lot' meant.

"What did you do to Neal?" she questioned cautiously.

"You mean Baelfire?" he asked, and she wanted to correct him, but it wasn't like he cared about it "That's already taken care of" she frowned, wondering what that meant; it didn't sound good "I'm talking about your...Best friend? Is that how you refer to him?" she raised an eyebrow, standing up, anger boiling inside of her "Henry, whatever he is to you. He's pretty upset you left him" he stated casually, which only increased her rage "He's wondering if you too were a dream"

"You…" her teeth clenched, and her eyes lit up like flames as her grip on the knife she was holding tightened.

_No, he's playing with your mind. Get a grip, Yazi. Don't let him treat you like a puppet he can control. _

"You are not going to get away with this" she chose to say instead, trying to keep her temper in check.

"Wouldn't you like to see that?" he taunted "But, unfortunately, that's not your choice. Boys?" the guys at his command immediately drew out their weapons, and took a fighting stance "I hope you haven't gotten bored of your cage yet, that's all you're going to see from now on" they boys began surrounding her, leaving no room for escape except back into the ocean, and there was no way on earth she was going back there with the murderous mermaids.

She gulped nervously, she wasn't going to be able to beat them, there were too many of them. And a dagger as her only weapon didn't do much to help her case.

She tried to think fast. She had to find a distraction, but there was nothing to help her.

At least, not around.

And then, it hit her.

She was in Neverland, and still a kid (technically); she could make any object appear just by thinking about it.

"Ten against one?" she questioned challenging, placing her hand behind her back and trying to stall for time as she thought about something that would prove to be very useful in that situation "That doesn't seem too fair"

_C'mon, work. _

"In fact, it sounds a lot like cheating" she felt the round object finally appearing in her palm "And don't you know?" she grinned, quickly selecting the closer escape route "Cheaters never win" she threw the object to the soil in front of the boys and Pan, and it immediately exploded in a green storm of smoke.

_Fitting color_, she thought as she ran away, pushing anyone who stepped in her way.

Now, all she needed to do was locate the camping site.

She was going back to her family.

* * *

**Yazi passed out and was knocked down for the remaining time left from episode 3x05 and 3x06. This chapters takes place at the end of 3x06 and beginning of 3x07; I thought I'd let you know that so you can be aware of the timeline.**

**I actually planned for something a bit more different to happen when she swam to the coast, Pan wasn't immediately going to appear, but then I remembered it would be kind of useless and kind of unbelievable if I went through with it, so I chose better. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **


	22. The Comeback

It took her a long while to find the ridge Hook had guided them to when they first arrived there, but when she finally did, her mental compass found its orientation again, and she could make her way to her camping site.

She was surprised Pan and his goonies hadn't found her at any moment, she couldn't help wondering if it was on purpose, but she also didn't have time to stop and think about it. She didn't want to jinx it.

What she couldn't help worrying about was Henry; she had no idea what Pan had told him about her sudden disappearance, but it certainly wasn't 'I locked her in a cage above mermaid infested waters'.

His words kept repeating over and over in her head, 'he's wondering if you too were a dream'. She sincerely hoped he was just saying that to taunt her, and it wasn't actually true. That would only make her feel worse, but she was capable of admitting when she couldn't do something by herself, and saving Henry was one of those things. It was stupid of her to think she could in the first place, especially because she had fallen right into Peter Pan's trap and she couldn't hate herself more for that.

She began to hear familiar voices, and quickened her step. She was definitely going the right way. She couldn't figure out what exactly they were saying, but she recognized Hook's and Emma's.

"It means we can get the shadow without being anywhere near Pan" that was Neal; her heart swelled. He was okay, Pan hadn't hurt him like he wanted her to think. She knew he was just playing with her "As long as we know where to look. I know where to look" she didn't stop to think about what they were planning, she would find out when she reached them; hopefully, if they didn't still think of her as little girl who couldn't handle herself.

Yes, she was still upset about that. But she was willing to push it aside for the time being, there were more important things at stake.

"Okay, so you and I are on shadow duty" Emma concluded.

"As am I" Hook spoke up "The track won't be easy, you could use another veteran of the island"

"Make that three" she announced her presence as she got out of the bushes. Several pairs of eyes turned to look at her, and the first thing she noticed was that Regina was not amongst them. She wondered why, but didn't ask.

"Yazi!" the first hug came from Mary Margaret, and it was the tightest. She was holding her so close, that she couldn't help hugging back "We were so worried about you, are you okay?" she asked, breaking apart but still holding her. The others were smiling at her, including Hook.

"I'm fine" she replied, smiling slightly, but she felt a sharp sting on her cheek, and it was then that she remembered that she was injured.

"You're hurt!" the woman exclaimed, softly turning her head so she could get a better look at it. Yazi wished she hadn't, it probably looked terrible.

"It's nothing"

"Did Pan do that to you?" Emma questioned cautiously, and she immediately shook her head.

"No!" she stated promptly "It was a...A branch" she lied, terribly. There was no way they'd believe that.

"I'd recognize a wound like that anywhere" Hook spoke up "That's no branch, that was a sword" Yazi cursed his pirate knowledge inwardly.

"Who did this to you?" David asked sternly.

"It doesn't matter" she replied softly "I really don't wanna talk about it" she added, and by their faces, they understood.

"Where have you been?" Neal wondered.

"Now's not the time" she stated logically. Every minute they spent talking, was another minute closer to Pan fulfilling his plan "I overheard some of your conversation, I wanna help" she was ready to hear some arguing against that, but to her surprise, that didn't come.

"Neal said that if we catch Pan's shadow, we might be able to leave Neverland" Emma began explaining, and Yazi nodded. They understood they could ask about her whereabouts later "It's the only way out"

"Well, we're not going to get a magic bean to appear out of thin air" Yazi agreed "Not again" she added, looking at Neal who just smiled slightly, both knowing what she was talking about. Everyone else seemed at a loss "Inner joke" she explained simply, and the rest nodded. If she didn't joke, she felt she was going to lose her mind.

"While you four do that, we'll give Tinkerbell a heads up" David spoke up, looking at Mary Margaret "See if she can make good of her promise to get us into Pan's camp"

"So you found her" Yazi commented, remembering that was what they were talking about before she left with Pan.

"Yes, but she won't help unless we have a way out of here" Mary Margaret explained, and the girl nodded. That was reasonable.

"We meet back at Tink's" Emma began saying "Then we get Henry, and get the hell back to Storybrooke" everyone agreed with that, and began to make the preparations for their respective quests.

"Before doing anything, let me treat your wound" Mary Margaret indicated, looking at Yazi who nodded and approached her "You wouldn't want it to get infected"

With everything she had done since the moment she got it, it wouldn't surprise her something had gotten in there already. The ocean water had alleviated some of the pain, but she could still feel the rest.

She sat down on a log, as the woman took a first aid kit from the supply bag they had brought from Hook's ship.

"So are you going to tell me where you've been?" Mary Margaret questioned softly, as she poured some alcohol in a piece of cotton and passed it over the wound. It stinged, but not so badly.

She didn't answer, she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She was selfish and didn't want to think about what she'd say if she found out she acted upon a grudge.

"We were all very worried about you, you know?" she kept saying, and Yazi was thankful she wasn't pushing her for answers "Even Hook" she smiled slightly upon hearing that, she would have to tell him at some point that she had lost his sword. She hoped he wasn't too mad about, she didn't want to know what an angry pirate looked like "Don't move"

"Sorry"

"We thought Pan had kidnapped you" she continued, as she reached for a bandage. Yazi felt a pang of guilt in her heart, but still didn't say anything "But then we talked to Henry, and he told us you weren't there" she opened her eyes wide upon hearing those words.

"You talked to him?" she repeated in disbelief. That definitely happened after she was locked.

"Yeah" she replied, placing the bandage on her cheek softly "Regina enchanted a mirror and gave it to one of the boys. And through some very unconventional methods, the boy gave it to Henry" Yazi could imagine what those unconventional methods were exactly, if she knew anything about the evil queen.

"Did he say anything else?" she wondered curiously, but frightened at the same time.

"Just that he was worried about you" she stated "He too feared that Pan might have done something to you" she felt kind of relieved. He wasn't too far gone so as not to care about her, which meant that he didn't think that her being there was a dream or an illusion "We couldn't talk a lot to him though"

And since she hadn't talked to her about infiltrating the camp, Yazi assumed Henry hadn't mentioned it to them.

"Where _is_ Regina by the way?" she questioned, changing the topic.

"You missed a lot" she replied shortly, her gaze setting on someone behind her, and she turned around to find David, who looked guilty about something.

Yes, there were definitely several things she didn't know about.

* * *

"That must have been a sharp sword" she heard Neal commenting as they walked through the jungle on the way to his cave; Hook and Emma were behind them.

"You could say that" she replied, tilting her head to the side before looking at him. She wanted to talk to Neal, even if it was about something as boring as her injury. She had missed him.

"I assume you kicked the ass of whoever was wielding it afterwards" he stated with a grin, and she chuckled humorlessly.

"The new moon can be a pain" she stated remorsefully, and he looked at her askance as they kept on walking.

"Why would you fight under one?"

"So Pan can lock me in a cage afterwards" she explained as a matter of fact. Neal didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"Who injured you?" she remained silent, gathering her thoughts. She took a quick glance over her shoulder, but the other two were way too far to hear her, which was good; she didn't want to freak them out, especially Emma.

"Henry" she said quietly, and Neal arched his eyebrows at her in surprise "But he didn't mean to" she quickly hurried to say "Pan's manipulation is too good. And we both know what spending so much time in Neverland can do to someone" only Neal and her had the ability to understand why something like that would happen without panicking. They had been through it.

"What's that bastard doing to my son?" he asked, and even though he sounded heated up, he was still speaking in a low voice. He probably didn't want the rest to find out either.

"He's trying to make him feel like a lost boy" she explained, it took her awhile to realize it, but walking through a jungle for an hour and a half while trying to find your family can be quite thought provoking "So if nobody that Henry cares about is there for him, it'll be easier to convince him on doing whatever he wants him to do" she sighed "I tried to be there for him, but turns out Pan was playing me at the same time" she kept saying. Neal didn't know she had been at the camp when he went to rescue him; for all he knew, she could have been in the cage way before that, so she could speak easily about her failed plan with him.

"You were at his camp?" he asked in surprise, and she just nodded, grateful Hook and Emma were too far behind to hear their conversation.

"I thought I could stop Pan from getting in his head" she stated "But unfortunately, he got in mine before that. I was careless"

"Hey, this is not your fault" he assured calmly "You did all you could"

"Thanks" she smiled slightly "I'm glad you're not dead" he chuckled at how bluntly she said that.

"Me too"

"Though you need to tell me how you got here when all this is over" she indicated "And since you're the adult, you should buy me a cup of hot chocolate while you're at it"

"Deal"

"How far are we?" they heard Emma's voice behind them, and Yazi and Neal lowered their pace so they could catch up to them.

"It's just up ahead" he replied simply, to which the woman nodded.

"Hey, Hook?" Yazi called the captain, who looked at her curiously upon hearing her addressing him. This was as good time as any "I'm sorry, but I lost your sword"

"Wasn't mine to begin with" he replied, and she remembered that it belonged to one of his crewman "No harm done, lass. It was just a sword" she nodded, and appreciated the fact that he didn't ask how it happened. Emma didn't either, though Yazi was sure she would want to know at some point. And she should be ready when that happened.

* * *

"Something tells me we won't find Pan's shadow in here, mate" Hook admitted, leaving the lantern on the table. They were in the cave she had once called shelter, it brought back a lot of memories for her.

Doing a quick scan as Neal looked for something, she found the golden bowl, and a small smile crawled up her lips. It was clear nobody had been in the cave ever since her friend left.

"We're looking for something else" he replied, opening a chest and then closing it again "It's a coconut. It's carved in two, one part holds a candle, the other's the lid"

"The star map" Yazi concluded, and he nodded.

"We hid it" Emma admitted "I'll go grab it"

"Let me come with you" the girl replied, and the woman nodded before going off, leaving the other two alone.

"How's the wound?" Emma questioned as she knelt down and began digging up what Yazi assumed was the coconut.

"It doesn't hurt as much" she replied, watching over the blonde's shoulder. She didn't know where exactly the map was, and she didn't want to difficult the digging.

"Are you ever gonna tell us what happened to you?" she asked calmly, not stopping her movement. She wasn't demanding, neither prying.

"I don't want to sound selfish" she admitted softly, and Emma looked at her sympathetically, putting the digging to a stop.

"You can tell me" she assured "I won't judge, I promise" the girl sighed, before kneeling down besides her, and Emma gave her the full attention.

Nobody was going to stop asking until they got an answer, and Emma was one of the few people who hadn't underestimated her once. She might as well say it to her, it was the least she could for her.

"I was at Pan's camp" Emma arched her eyebrows in surprise, but said nothing and waited for Yazi to continue speaking, which she appreciated "The first night in Neverland, he came to me and offered to take me to Henry"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't think I would accept" she explained "It never crossed my mind once, until…" she paused, gathering her thoughts "Until Regina used magic on the map, and nobody tried to stop her but me" she could faintly hear Hook and Neal talking about something, but Emma said nothing "Pan said some things that got in my head" she continued, not wanting to elaborate more on that because it made her sound even more selfish than she already had been "I really wanted to help Henry, and he used that against me" she braced herself for the next words, which were what she was afraid of saying "I was just so angry and upset that day, that I just wanted to leave because-"

"Because we weren't listening to you" Emma concluded, and she nodded silently "I'm sorry, Yazi. I didn't even think you'd be so upset about it. None of us did. We just wanted to look out for you" she didn't sound judgemental or angry, which eased the storm in her heart.

"It's fine" she replied, shaking her head "It made me realize that I can't do everything by myself"

"Can you promise me something?" the woman questioned, and the girl looked at her curiously "Next time you feel like this, let us know. It's better than bottling it up, or you'll end up doing something..." she struggled for the correct wording.

"Stupid?" Yazi suggested, and Emma chuckled slightly.

"Yeah" she said with a small smile.

"I promise"

* * *

**Emma is acting more like a mother than Mary Margaret, I didn't even realize until I reread the scene. I think it might be because I love her character more than the other, I'll have to work on that since Mary Margaret is Yazi's guardian.**

**Also, Yazi's back with her family, and Operation Save Henry is beginning to show some progress. **

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	23. One Step Closer

"Everything okay?" Emma asked when the two of them went back to Neal and Hook, star map in hand. There was an uncomfortable atmosphere, Yazi could cut the tension with a knife.

Just how much did she miss while she was gone?"

"Couldn't be better" Neal replied sternly, and he was obviously bothered about something, but it was no time to ask.

"Here it is, your star map" Emma stated, and she clearly had noticed the atmosphere as well.

"It's not a map" Neal replied, placing the coconut in his bag "It's what we're gonna use to trap Pan's shadow"

"A coconut?" Hook questioned "Are you daft?"

"You came to Neverland through a portal, but you don't believe in a magic coconut?" her friend asked logically.

"Ah, fair enough" the pirate admitted with his signature grin "What's our next stop in this mission?" there was a pause, and Yazi braced herself for whatever Neal was about to say. She had learned that when he did that, it was probably because what followed wasn't good.

"Dark Hollow" Yazi raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner. She had never been there during her stay in the island, but she knew it was the worst place in the entirety of Neverland, and that was saying something.

"Really?" Emma questioned, her sarcastic tone slipping out as Hook and Neal kept their gazes fixed on each other, not listening to her "Why couldn't it be called something like Sunshine Valley or Rainbow Cove?" Yazi chuckled softly upon hearing her words "What exactly is it?"

"The darkest place in this island" the girl replied, as the woman arched her eyebrows askance.

"Any light that makes it through there is snuffed out by the shadows that call it home" Hook added lugubriously "Even I managed to avoid it"

"Well, time to break tradition, Dark Hollow it is" Emma spoke up, grabbing the lantern from the table in front of her.

"That's where we'll find Pan's shadow then" Yazi commented.

"Yeah, it's the only way we'll ever get back to Storybrooke"

* * *

"We'll have to cut our way through" Neal said when they reached a path, blocked by thick bushes. Yazi reached out for her sword, but then remembered she didn't have it and sighed. She felt pretty much useless without a weapon, not to mention defenseless.

"Here, use this" Emma replied, reaching out for the sword in the sheath behind her back. Yazi recognized it as the other weapon that was in Hook's cabinet.

"My cutlass" Neal commented, slightly taken back upon seeing her holding it "You found it in the cave?" he asked as he grabbed it.

"No" Emma replied, shaking her head "Actually Hook gave it to me" she added, gesturing to the pirate behind her, and if Yazi didn't know him any better, she'd say he seemed slightly embarrassed.

"Since when are you sentimental?" the other man questioned, looking at him.

"I thought Emma would like something to remember you by" he replied, and the girl noticed he sounded a bit bitter, almost resentful in a way.

"Ah, thanks. She has me now" he stated sharply, and began cutting through the bushes, as Yazi frowned, wondering what was going on.

"What was that about?" Emma questioned, equally confused as she looked at Hook, stopping him from walking any further.

"I assumed he heard my secret"

_Secret?_

The girl pondered if they had noticed she was there too, but by the looks of it, it didn't seem like it.

But just in case, she just went after Neal, having a feeling that what Emma and the pirate were talking about was something way too private for her to listen in.

She walked some metres forward, and spotted Neal still cutting through the greenery. She wanted to help, but a simple dagger was not going to do much against miles of jungle.

"What's taking them so long?" Neal asked when he noticed the girl was behind him.

"They're just talking, I'm sure they'll be here soon" she replied, not worrying too much about it. But the man tensed slightly upon hearing her words.

"Yeah, right, 'talking'" he said bitterly "I'm gonna look for them" he turned around to go back, the path still blocked slightly.

"Neal" Yazi called, holding his arm to stop him, and he turned to look at her curiously "I don't know what is going on between you and Hook, but I hope you haven't forgotten why we're here" she stated sharply "We don't have time to spare" Neal sighed, knowing she was right "So get back to clearing that path, and I'll go look for them" he just nodded, and did as told.

Yazi sighed this time as she went back for the other two. Whatever was going on, she hoped it wouldn't be a problem when they arrived to the hollow. Otherwise, they were going to be in trouble.

* * *

The Dark Hollow was just as bad as it sounded. There was no light anywhere and a strong wind was blowing wildly.

"So this is where the victims of Pan's shadow reside?" Hook questioned, looking up cautiously in case they showed up while holding the lantern, though it was of no use.

"Yeah" Neal replied from ahead, making his way through, and the rest quickly followed behind. Getting separated in that place was a terrible idea "Forced to spend eternity in this darkness"

"Let's make sure we don't join them" Yazi commented lugubriously, looking around as well. There were chills running up her spine, and she didn't know if it was the cold or that place succumbed to obscurity. Probably both. She was so used to walking around the more illuminated parts of Neverland, that she forgot how much darkness it held in its heart.

"So we just way for Pan's shadow to show up?" Emma questioned once they came to a stop in the centre of the hollow.

"Yeah" Neal stated, reaching out for his bag to grab the coconut "And when it does, we'll be prepared"

"So how do we do this exactly?" Yazi asked when she saw the object in his hands.

"We light the candle, and the shadows are drawn to it" he explained, placing it on a tree stump to light it more easily "If it gets close enough, the flame will suck it in. We'll put the lid on and the strap it inside this bad boy"

"It sounds for a fine plan except for one thing" Hook spoke up from behind as the other man looked at him curiously, patting his pockets in search of something "Our lanterns went out" he stated, placing them on the tree stump as well "How the devil are we gonna ignite that bloody thing?"

"Welcome to the 21st century" Neal grinned mockingly, showing him the lighter. Emma began to look around as he tried to turn the lighter on, but it was hard to leave it on with the wind blowing. Yazi tried to block the wind from blowing it off by placing her hands around the coconut, but it was useless.

"How's it coming over there guys?" Emma asked behind them, loud enough so they could hear her over the wind.

"Hang on"

"Let me help" Hook indicated, as Yazi stepped aside to leave room for him.

"No, I got it" the other said sternly.

"Well, I only got one hand and I can do better than that"

"You know what? Now's not the time to try and impress Emma"

"You think that's why I'm doing-"

"Really? You're doing this now?" Emma demanded, as Neal went back to trying to light the candle.

"You heard her. We're gonna stand here and argue, or are we going to get the candle lit?" the pirate scolded, grabbing the lighter from his hands. But he couldn't do much either.

"Harder than it looks, huh pal?" Neal questioned, another mocking grin plastered on his face. He reached out for it, but Hook didn't let go "Give it to me"

"Children, now is not the time for this" Yazi spoke up in annoyance "Give me that" she snatched the lighter from both their hands and then proceeded to grab the coconut.

"Thanks" Emma said softly as the girl handed her the coconut to make it easier for her to light it up.

"Boys" she complained good-heartedly, rolling her eyes and all the woman did was smile. She was about to light it up, but she felt a tingle on her back. She looked up, and her eyes opened wide "Watch out!" she warned, ducking as the three shadows flew above them.

"Is that Pan's shadow?!" Emma demanded, grabbing the sword to defend herself, but Yazi didn't know how useful that would be.

"One of them at least!" she replied, and noticed that Hook took out his weapon as well "But what about the other two?!" nobody had the answer to that. One of them grazed her head, making her fall to the floor, and she backed away towards one of the stumps, the lighter still in her hand. She had no way of defending herself, all she could tro to do was dodge them.

"Hook!" Emma cried, and when Yazi looked to the side, she found that one of the shadows was pining the captain to a tree. Someone else screamed, and on the other side, Neal was going through the same thing. There was one free shadow roaming around.

"Emma, the coconut!" Yazi indicated, and the woman backed away towards her, trying to fight the remaining shadow off at the same time.

She knelt down besides the girl, holding one half of the coconut, the lid at her feet, and the sword on the other hand so she could keep on protecting the two of them. Yazi leaned closer to the object and tried to turn the lighter on, but the small flame it made was no match for the shadow and the wind.

"I can't!" the girl exclaimed "There's not enough cover"

"Get out of here, both of you!" Neal ordered, as his shadow was being separated from his body by the other shadow. Yazi refused to do that; one, she didn't want to leave the men there to perish, and two, Neal had said it himself, the shadow was the only way out of Neverland. They couldn't give up.

"I can try magic" Emma suggested, and Yazi arched her eyebrows in surprise.

"You can?"

"Regina was teaching me before she left" Yazi nodded in understanding, and as Emma prepared to do that, she grabbed the sword in case the shadow decided to attack again. For now, it was just looking at them with antsy interest, as if trying to analyze their next move. She remained still as well, she didn't want to do anything that might attract it towards them.

After a few very tense seconds, the shadow turned to look at Emma with interest, and Yazi noticed that she had managed to light it up.

Emma leaned forward, holding the candle towards the shadow, and it was sucked in immediately. Yazi grabbed the lid and placed it on top as soon as it was gone, sealing it, at least for a while.

* * *

As the four of them walked back to the camp, the tension was present in the air. And with good reason, Hook and Neal almost ruined their chances of escaping the island.

But the most pissed off out of all of them was Emma, and Yazi understood why.

She was at the centre of their argument, because both men had feelings for her. The girl suspected it from the moment they arrived to Neal's cave, and all the Dark Hollow situation did was confirm it.

It wasn't Emma's fault of course, but them being more worried about gaining her love than capturing the shadow was bound to anger her. Their feelings were clouding their judgement, and clear thoughts was exactly what they needed to have in that situation. Otherwise, things could go very wrong. And they almost did.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I know I screwed up" Neal apologized as he held the coconut.

"Yes, you did" Emma stated sternly, turning to look at them and making the come to a stop "You both did. We almost lost our chance of capturing the shadow because you two were fighting over a lighter"

"It wasn't a lighter we were fighting over, love" Hook explained.

"Trust me, we noticed" Yazi spoke up, and the men turned to look at her in surprise upon hearing those words "It's hard not to when you two are glaring at each other half the time"

"You wouldn't un-"

"Understand?" she cut Neal off rudely, taking him by surprise as she folded her arms "Woah, you sound just like everyone else now" she added, chuckling dryly, anger beginning to boil up "I'm not a little girl anymore, Neal. I know what feeling a connection with someone is, and you should know that better than everyone else" he didn't answer, clearly knowing what she was talking about "But your love lives" she looked at Hook as well, making it clear she was talking to both of them "Are the least of our concerns right now. There's something more important at stake than your teenage angst, and I should know because I'm one" she added sternly "And that's my best friend's life, so stop acting like you're fourteen and _please_ stick to the mission"

And with that, she was gone.

* * *

**Not much to say about this chapter other than Yazi being a mature thirteen year old is what I live for. Since I'm eighteen it's hard for me to write in the perspective of on a thirteen year old with the mentality of one, it's a flaw I should begin working on at some point, but for now this is the best I can do. She still has her moments of teenage rebellion at some points in time, but it's not a constant state. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll try to get the other one out to you as soon as possible!**


	24. The Devil Within

The crew were making their way towards Pan's camp, with Tinkerbell ahead, who had finally agreed to help them since they now had a way out of Neverland. Yazi hoped it wasn't too late.

"Hey" she heard Neal's voice besides her, and she acknowledged him with a glance as they kept walking "I'm sorry about earlier" he added, referring to what he had said to her when they left the Dark Hollow.

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me, you should be apologizing to Emma" she replied, she was already over it. The fact that he too had alluded to the fact that she was a little girl angered her for a brief second, but she knew there were more pressing matters at hands than that.

Well, at least he admitted it wasn't fair of him to do it. That counted for something at least.

"And Hook" she added, remembering the pirate. He was doing his best to help them, even if it was just because he wanted to get on Emma's good side or whatever. He was doing a good deed in his own way "He provided us with a way to come here. And he gave me a sword to defend myself" he didn't even know her, but it seemed he had heard something about her since he didn't hesitate to hand her a weapon "He's not such a bad person" she could admit she didn't trust him when he first arrived to Storybrooke, especially because of what he did to Neal, but with time he had shown there was some good in him. It was buried deep down underneath his fancy attires and wish for revenge, but it was there

"He's a pirate" Yazi rolled her eyes, what even was that argument?

"And I was a thief, your point is?" she asked calmly, but sternly. People made mistakes all the time, it was not fair to judge them based only on that. Unless the person in question was the Dark One, in that case there was no forgive and forget, especially because he hadn't done anything to actually make up for his mistakes, unlike Hook. Regina was another story, all she had done to Yazi since they arrived was to belittle her, and the girl didn't think she regretted it.

"You're right" he gave her the reason with a nod "Sorry"

"Don't worry about it" she replied, shaking her head "I know he wasn't the best person with you" she added, it would probably take time for him to see Hook in a different light, but she hoped he would be able to one day "But I do believe he's trying to be better" and she was willing to give him that chance.

"You know" he kept saying, still walking and she gave him a curious glance "We all really care about you, we don't mean to underestimate you" the girl didn't say anything, but listened attentively to his words "We're just trying to look out for you. And sometimes that's not such a bad thing"

"You sound like an old man" she said jokingly, but she understood what he was saying. And he was right, it just annoyed her sometimes, but she did appreciate it. But they also had to understand that she was capable of taking care of herself, she had done it for a very long time.

"Right back at ya Miss 'stop acting like fourteen year olds'" Neal joked back, and she chuckled slightly.

"Fair enough" she smiled "Thanks" she added, giving him a brief look as they arrived to a clear.

"No problem" it seemed he was about to say something else, but then they head the rustling of bushes. Everyone stopped what they were doing and took out their weapons, ready to attack whoever was coming towards them if they posed a threat. Yazi still had only a dagger on her, so she remained standing still.

After a few seconds, Regina and and Rumpelstiltskin came out from within the forest and everyone took their stance back.

"If this is your version of a rescue party, we got here just in time" she stated, and Yazi rolled her eyes. She was still the same, not that three days would do anything to change her "And what happened to you?" she added, looking at the girl, probably talking about the bandage in her cheek.

"It's a long story" she replied, shrugging it off.

"What are you two doing here?" Mary Margaret questioned cautiously.

"Same as you" she replied, as Gold approached them. He was a holding a peculiar box in his hands "Except we actually have a chance" she gestured to the mysterious object "Pandora's Box. It can trap Pan for eternity simply by opening the lid" she explained as if she was talking to a group of students.

"You didn't tell me my father was with her?" Yazi heard Neal asking Emma besides him.

"I didn't know"

"Wait, your father is the Dark One?" Tinkerbell questioned, being their first time she heard about that.

"Yeah, and he's not getting anywhere near Henry"

"Bae…"

"Why? What are you talking about?" the blonde woman asked.

"There's a prophecy that says Henry will be his undoing" the man explained, and Yazi arched her eyebrows in surprise upon hearing his words. 'Undoing?' "He didn't come here to protect him, he came here to kill him"

"Why doesn't it surprise me?" the younger girl stated sharply, glaring at the older man. Of course there was something else in this, the only thing Rumpelstiltskin cared about was himself.

"That's why you didn't want to find Neal before you got Henry back?" Regina asked venomously "Because you knew he'd spill your secret?"

"Everything I did was to protect Henry" he defended himself, before looking at the others "To rescue him from Pan" Yazi scoffed. She tried to help Henry and it went terribly wrong, but she was sure _that_ was a lot more than what Gold had done for him.

"It all makes sense now!" Emma realized, pointing her sword at him, her face horrified "You left before we even made shore"

"You wanted to get Henry first" Mary Margaret continued, aiming an arrow at him.

"To be on his own" David continued, doing the same as Emma.

"So no one could stop you" Hook stated.

"So you can kill him" Regina spat out.

"Just looking out for himself like he always does" Yazi finished sternly "You will never change"

"It ain't gonna happen, not unless you go through all of us first"

"You're making a mistake" he stated calmly "I don't care if the boy is destined to be my undoing. I won't hurt him"

"And you think we'll believe you?" the golden child demanded, folding her arms in disapproval "After everything you did to us, you actually think we'll listen to a word you say?"

"Without me, you will fail" the girl rolled her eyes, so over his 'you need me' attitude "I'm the most powerful amongst us"

"That's why we can't trust you" Neal said logically.

"If I could give you my dagger, I would, but I can't"

"You could have done that in the first place and then we wouldn't be having this conversation" Yazi stated sternly. If he truly wanted to help Henry, he could have given them the dagger and then go off on his merry way, but he didn't. And if he didn't want them to suspect him, he could have told them about the prophecy from the beginning. That would have probably saved him a lot of trouble. But he didn't do that either. Only further proof he was as selfish as they come.

"But you can give me Pandora's Box" his son suggested "I don't have to trust you if I can stop you" Gold frowned, hesitation clear in his face.

"Son…" he attempted to reason with him, but upon seeing the position he was in decided against it. And with a sigh, handed Neal the box.

"Look at me" he commanded, and his father did as told "If you so much as lift a finger to do magic, you're going to spend an eternity in this box" he threatened, before grabbing it and placing it in his satchel.

"Let's go" Emma ordered, and everyone began to make their way towards the camp.

* * *

The crew sat in Pan's camp, the lost boys quick asleep thanks to Regina's spell, but there was no sign of Henry or Pan. There was a girl, Wendy Darling, the girl Neal had told Yazi about when they were in Neverland, sitting on a stone, a blanket around her as she tried to recover from the shock of being locked in a cage. It was thanks to Emma that they found her, since she heard her scream for help.

"Wendy, since you've been here" Neal began, kneeling in front of her "Have you seen my son? His name's Henry"

"You have a son?" Neal nodded in response.

"Pan needs his heart for something" Yazi picked up, as Wendy turned to look at her "Did he, by any chance, mention something about the truest believer?"

"No, I'm sorry" the golden child sighed, back to square one. They had no idea what Pan wanted with Henry "He never mentioned anything about a heart"

"She's lying" Gold said between her teeth, and Wendy tensed as he approached her, pointing her sword at her threateningly "Where is he?" Yazi opened her eyes wide, and went to stand in front of Wendy protectively.

"What are you doing?" David questioned as him and Neal tried to hold him back.

"I've carried enough lies in my life to recognize them" he explained "She knows where Henry is"

"Then we'll act like decent human beings and just ask her again" Yazi shot, before turning to look at Wendy "Is that true?" she asked quietly, not wanting to freak the girl out.

"You don't understand" she replied, shaking her head.

"Then help us" Yazi kept saying calmly "Did Pan threaten you or something?" Wendy looked like a nice girl, and from what she had heard from Neal she was a wonderful person. There had to be a reasonable explanation as to why she'd help someone like Peter Pan.

Wendy bit her lip nervously.

"He did, didn't he?" she had spent enough time in Neverland to know he could do that and much more.

"He's keeping John and Michael alive, only if I do as he says" Yazi shook her head in disbelief, anger towards Pan boiling inside of her. She wasn't surprised, she just couldn't believe someone like that despicable human being existed.

"Trust me, whatever he promised, he will go back on his word" Rumple spoke from behind them.

"Why should I trust a man who abandoned his own son?" Yazi held back her grin, it was not the time. But whenever someone told Gold off, she find it incredibly amusing and deserved.

"Because your brothers did" Regina stated, and everyone turned to look at her with interest "They trusted a woman named Belle. They helped her get this box so we can defeat Pan"

"They're okay?" Wendy asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"For now" Gold replied "And only if we succeed"

"Wendy" Neal spoke up again, squatting besides Yazi "We will save John and Michael, I swear to God. But right now, I really need your help" pause "Please" Wendy turned to look ahead, taking a deep breath.

"Pan told Henry that he needs his heart to save magic" Yazi nodded, she knew about that, and she also knew it was a lie "It's a lie. He needs it to save himself"

"What do you mean?" Hook questioned quietly.

"Pan's dying" she bit her lip "He needs the heart of the truest believer to absorb all the magic in Neverland. And once he does, he will be immortal. More powerful"

"And what happens to Henry?" Mary Margaret asked, as Wendy turned to look at her.

"Well, it's a trade" she replied, and Yazi didn't like where this was going "When Pan lives, Henry will die"

"I knew there was something else" Yazi breathed out absentmindedly.

"I'm sorry?" she heard Regina ask behind her, and she stood up to face them "You knew about this?" she added, folding her arms sternly.

"Not all of it" she replied, shaking her head "Just that Pan was lying to Henry, but I didn't know what was behind that lie"

"How?" David questioned, and all eyes focused on her. She sighed, giving Neal and Emma a brief look, before revealing it. It was time for them to knew.

"While I was gone, I was in Pan's camp" she confessed, and everyone looked at her in surprise, except the only two people who already knew about it.

"What? Why?" Mary Margaret demanded worriedly.

"She was only trying to help Henry" Emma backed the girl up, and she smiled at her gratefully, before continuing.

"When we first arrived to Neverland, Pan came to me with an offer" she began, placing a piece of hair behind her ear nervously "The offer to take me to Henry"

"I'm guessing it wasn't cheap" Hook spoke up logically, knowing Pan's offers always came with a price.

"How do you think I got this?" she replied, pointing to her bandaged cheek, and everyone's eyes opened wide at the thought that she got that when she was with him "I thought that if I infiltrated his camp, I would be able to protect Henry from being manipulated"

"That was dangerous!" Mary Margaret exclaimed "Why would you do something like that?"

"Because none of you were listening to me" she replied calmly, but before either one of them could tell her it was very immature, she kept going "I know it was stupid, but at that moment I just wanted to leave and I found a way to do that while also keeping Henry safe"

"You're Yazi, aren't you?" Wendy asked behind them, and the girl frowned upon seeing she knew her name.

"Yeah" she replied quizzically "Why?"

"Part of Pan's lie was to tell Henry I was sick because the magic was dying" she explained "He came to see me, and he talked about you"

"He did?"

"He was very worried" she replied, shifting her posture "He thought Pan might be keeping you captive. And...He was also very sorry he hurt you" Yazi smiled, not surprised. That sounded like her best friend alright.

"What's she talking about?" Regina questioned, and the girl sighed. Now that everything was out in the open, telling them the real cause of her injury wasn't going to change anything.

"There was a new moon a couple days ago, and Pan made Henry and I duel" she stated, as everyone listened attentively "He knew that I was weak so I wasn't going to endure much, and he wanted to wear me out so he could lock me up, and prevent me from telling Henry the truth"

"But why would he take you to the camp if he was going to lock you up anyway?" David asked with a frown, and Yazi shook her head, not knowing about that either.

"To take away his only hope" Mary Margaret realized, looking at her husband "None of us were there, Yazi was the only person Henry could see"

"So when I suddenly 'disappeared'..." the girl spoke up, connecting the gears in her head.

"He would be left with nothing" Emma finished, standing up "And it would be easier to manipulate him" he would be in a very vulnerable state, especially after he hurt her. His walls would be down, so Pan could break right through them.

"Suddenly, I want to trap him in that box myself" Yazi said sharply. Pan had given Henry a slight glimpse of what hope felt like by having her be there with him, only to tear it apart by locking her up not so long after.

He had used Henry's affection for his best friend against him.

* * *

**There's a reason I used 'affection' and not 'love', because they're not there yet. Like I've said, it's gonna take a while. So don't get ahead of yourselves!**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter**


	25. Devil's Advocate

Yazi stared up at Skull Rock, chills up her spine as she sat on the boat alongside Regina, Emma, Gold and Neal. She had only seen it from afar when she was in Neverland, never got near it. It was as lugubrious and unnerving as she had imagined it to be up close, she hoped they weren't too late. She clenched the star necklace her best friend had given her tightly, as they came to a stop and got off.

_We're going to find you, Henry. Just hold on._

"These are Henry's footprints" Emma indicated, gesturing to the floor, and Yazi indeed noticed they were there "Wendy was right, they're here!" she continued, filled with hope as she sprinted towards the stairs, where the footprints led. There was also another canoe, similar to theirs.

"Wait!" Yazi called before she arrived, and everyone turned to look at her curiously "If I know the first thing about Pan, is that it can't be this easy" she added, walking over to beginning of the stairs. She raised her hand up, and pushed forward. She was met with an invisible wall "It's a barrier"

"Smart girl" Gold complimented, and Yazi didn't know whether to be flattered or absolutely disgusted "Pan cast a protection spell"

She tried to extend her hand beyond the barrier, but she couldn't.

"I can't get through" she frowned.

"That's because this isn't an ordinary barrier" Gold spoke up, and she looked at him curiously "It's designed to prevent anyone that casts a shadow from entering" he continued, as he stepped forward, towards the stairs, and managed to make it past it.

"And you don't have one" Neal realized, approaching him "You were telling the truth about ripping your shadow off" Yazi was surprised to say the least. That was one thing that wasn't a lie, she wondered if it wasn't the only one. Though considering who they were dealing with, that would probably be too much to ask.

"And Pan knows it" he replied with a nod "That's why he cast the spell he did. This isn't about keeping you out, it's about drawing me in. He knows I won't give up the chance of finishing what I came here to do"

"You really did come here to save Henry" Neal realized, but Yazi was not convinced about that. She didn't say anything, though, she feared it was not going to be too welcomed.

"I gave you my trust in that box" he indicated, gesturing to the object in Neal's hands "Now I need you to give it back" everyone remained quiet, as his son analyzed the situation, before finally nodding. But just when he was about to give it to his father, Regina snatched it from his hands, an unreadable expression on her face.

"You better come through, Gold" she said cautiously, approaching him to stand just before the barrier "Or I'll make whatever Pan has planned for you look like child's play" she threatened, and Yazi felt strangely at ease knowing she wasn't the only one who didn't trust him. She couldn't blame Neal because no matter what type of person Gold was, he was still his father, and she was sure he truly wanted to believe in the good in him. But her, on the other hand, was not going to be as trusting "Do you understand me?" he caste her his signature grin.

"Well, a simple 'good luck'" he replied, reaching out to grab the box across the barrier "Would have sufficed" he added, before going off, and leaving all of them behind.

"So what are we gonna do now?" Regina asked one he was gone, as she paced around the entrance anxiously. Yazi was too, it was unnerving to just sit about and do nothing. She couldn't handle it, especially knowing Henry was alone with Pan inside that cave.

"What about the spell my father used to rip of his shadow?" Neal questioned, sitting on a rock as the girl fidgeted with her necklace.

"You think if I knew how to do that, I wouldn't have done it already?"

"The moon" Emma commented, and everyone turned to look at her curiously as she looked up to the sky.

"A moon?"

"The moon is what causes our shadows, right?" the blonde woman explained "What if there was a way to block it out using magic?"

"You mean, like an eclipse?" Neal questioned, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Yazi, who was as curious "Is that even possible?"

"Maybe"

"So?"

"I need help" Regina said calmly.

"With magic?" Emma asked in disbelief, and Yazi couldn't blame her. Regina was an expert with magic, not as much as the Dark One, but close enough. Hearing her ask for help rarely, if not never, happened.

"It requires a lot" she replied as a matter of fact, though she looked very uncomfortable about it "I guess we're about to find out how much those lessons I gave you paid off"

"Will you be okay?" Neal asked, looking at the Golden Child with worry.

"If we block the moon, it'll hurt you, won't it?" Emma questioned, suddenly remembering where the girl's vitality came from. She wasn't too sure about the idea anymore. Regina didn't look entirely convinced either.

"Don't worry about me" she replied, shaking her head. It was definitely going to, but she didn't mind "You have to do whatever it takes to save Henry"

"Thanks" Emma replied with a smile, and the girl just nodded.

"Here, come here" Neal stood up from the single rock in there, so Yazi could sit down before her strength vanished. She looked at him gratefully, before doing as told.

"Follow my lead" Regina indicated, raising her hands up towards the moon, and Emma mirrored her posture.

Yazi looked up to the moon, and as soon as a small portion of it was covered, her head began hurting. She gulped, knowing that, while that wasn't so bad, it was only going to go south from there. Gibbous moon, she began feeling cold and her head began pounding. Quarter moon, shivers and an aching throat. Crescent moon, heavy eyes and aching body, her strength vanishing.

By the time the moon was completely blocked, she would have tumbled down had Neal not caught her in time. He helped her towards the far end of the wall, and sat her down against it as Emma and Regina looked at her worriedly.

"You okay?" he asked silently, squatting in front of her.

"Yeah" she nodded, her voice quiet "Go get Henry"

"You should stay here" Emma indicated "We don't know what Pan could do to you in this state" the girl just nodded in agreement, making her smile sympathetically "We'll be back before you know it"

And with that, they were off.

Yazi sighed, leaning her head against the wall as she looked at the blocked moon. The moon's effect weren't that bad during the other phases. Maybe a headache, maybe some extra rest, but when the moon was completely gone everything fell on her at once. She shouldn't be anywhere but in a bed, and she actually hated it, she couldn't do anything. People had to give her everything and keep watch on her 24/7 in case she needed something. She had told Mary Margaret many times not to do that anymore, she was neglecting her whole life to take care of her during those times, and while the woman wasn't completely okay with it, she understood it.

But that never stopped her from bringing her food to the bed, or asking every once in a while if she needed anything.

Her eyes felt heavy, and she feared she would fall asleep any minute, but she tried to keep her mind occupied with other thoughts. The only ones that came to her head, were about Henry.

Unconsciously, she reached once again for the necklace, wishing that the next time she heard someone moving, it was everyone coming down the stairs, with her best friend safe and sound amongst them. She had almost lost him once with the sleeping spell, if she did it again, she would be devastated. Especially since she felt it had been a long time since they were last able to hang out and just be teenagers, have fun drinking hot chocolate and reading comics, instead of having to save Storybrooke. Their lives were certainly extraordinary, but it was in those simple moments that she found the ordinary. She was definitely learning to appreciate regular days a lot more.

Once they were out of Neverland, she would need, at least, a week to adjust to a normal life once again, a life in which she didn't need to have a sword with her all the time, or keep her walls up in case somebody tried to hurt her, or try to prevent the devil's advocate from manipulating and tricking her best friend. It was not going to be easy.

As she tried to stay awake, a strange feeling set in her gut. She looked at the moon, maybe the spell was gone and her energy was returning, but there was still no sight of its light. She watched the stairs, and thought for a moment that they might have returned, but there was nobody. Against her better judgement, she felt the need to walk over.

With difficulty, she stood up and approached the stairs, using the wall as support. She tried to see something above, but there was a very long path ahead. She focused on her hearing, maybe she could make out voices, but there was no sound. Wherever the rest were, was definitely far.

A single thought landed in her mind, like an apple on her head.

_There's something wrong. _

She didn't know what made her feel like it, but it just wasn't going away. The feeling that something terrible was about to happen, and she had to stop it.

She didn't want to move, it was only going to make her feel worse, but it was much stronger than her. So, taking a deep breath, she began climbing, almost crawling her way up. Every step was a journey to make, her breath got shorter and shorter the more she went up. Her ankles began hurting, as if she wasn't stepping correctly, and there was a ringing in her ears.

She felt she had been walking for ages when she finally began noticing the voices. There were many of them. She placed her hand on the wall to keep steady, and focused on sharpening her hearing.

"The only person Pan is interested in saving his himself" she heard a woman, but she couldn't distinguish clearly whether it was Emma or Regina. She closed her eyes, blocking out all sorts of distraction. It took a lot of willpower since her head hurt so much, and her breath was regulating at a tortoise's pace.

"That's not true!" someone yelled. Henry. She breathed in relief, he was still alive.

"Of course it isn't!" Pan argued, sounding offended. All she wanted was to punch him, and if she hadn't been so weak, she would have probably done it.

"Yes, it is!" Neal exclaimed "Pan can't live without you dying. If you give him your heart, it's gonna kill you" Yazi nodded in agreement, eventhough they couldn't even see her. They had to keep on insisting.

"They're trying to stop your belief, Henry, but don't let them" silence "Remember, every hero gets tested" a longer pause.

"Henry" that was Emma. Yazi hadn't heard Gold once, she wondered if he was even there "I know what being a hero looks like, and this isn't it"

"Why would they lie?"

_They wouldn't._ _They aren't. _

She grasped onto the wall, the tension was too much for her to bear. It was clear he was very conflicted. And it was all because of Peter Pan, who had gotten too deep into his head. He was torn between what he thought was his duty, and what his heart was telling him. She hoped the latest could speak louder.

"Because that's what adults do, Henry. You know that better than anyone" Yazi couldn't take it anymore.

"Then let me talk" she announced her presence, finally revealing her face. Even though she had no idea what would come out of that situation, it seemed to be the only thing left to do.

In front of her, Pan and Henry were standing before the hourglass, its sand running out. Henry was holding his own heart in his hand, and Emma, Regina and Neal were some metres ahead of her. No sign of Rumpelstiltskin anywhere. Or Pandora's Box.

"Yazi!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up "You're okay!"

"Kinda" she replied with a small chuckle, trying to take some humour out of her state. She spotted Neal approaching her, probably to help her stand, but she just shook her head.

"What's wrong?" Henry questioned worriedly, noticing her hand holding onto the wall besides her.

"It doesn't matter" she stood straight, tried to put her thoughts in order, and raised her voice "Your parents are telling the truth" she insisted "I know it can be annoying to have them on you 24/7, but they are just trying to look out for their son" she set her gaze on each of them "I should know" she added, smiling slightly, a smile that was returned "There are other ways of being a hero that don't involve sacrificing your life" she turned to look back at her best friend.

"They don't care about Neverland, Henry" Pan kept trying to get in his head, and Yazi was getting annoyed, but giving into that was not going to help her in that situation. She needed to remain calm "They know that if you give your heart to save it, then you'll have to stay" he went to stand besides him, glaring at them "They're just being selfish because they don't wanna lose you"

"In fact, you are already a hero" Yazi continued, pretending Pan or his words weren't there "If it wasn't for you, then Emma wouldn't have arrived to Storybrooke" she began tallying up, as she noticed said woman nodding in agreement, smiling sympathetically at her son "The curse would have never been broken. And all of us would have spent the rest of our lives living a lie" as painful as it was to admit that she was an orphan, that her parents were gone, that was who she was. It was part of her, and she had to embrace it, not ignore it "You saw things that nobody else could see, and whether you believe it or not, that by itself already makes you a very special person" he smiled slightly upon hearing those words, and hope began igniting inside Yazi's heart. An avalanche of words kept falling from her mouth, she didn't even have to think about them "Someone's status is not defined by how many heroic deeds they accomplish. Or how many duels they win. Or how many bad guys they beat up in a day. It's the smallest things that truly count" as she talked, she almost completely forgot her body hurt like hell and she could scarcely stand up. Henry's growing shine in his eyes, showing she was managing to clear his vision encouraged her to keep on talking "And Henry, you did the greatest thing you could have done"

Just one more push.

"You believed. In all of us, even when we didn't believe in ourselves" she gave the adults a glance, to see that they agreed with her, before looking back at him "And that heart in your hand is proof of that. You can't let Pan or anyone else taint it, because it's who you are"

"She's right, kid" Emma backed her up once she was done talking "You have to trust us"

"Trust?" Pan demanded, and Yazi couldn't believe he was still trying "I'm the only one who has ever been honest with you, Henry" he stated, turning to look at the boy, who seemed quite conflicted "The only one who has ever believed in you"

Henry frowned upon hearing those words. They weren't true. They weren't true at all. There was one person who had always believed in him, even when everyone else thought of him as crazy or delusional. One person who, not matter what he said or did, never gave up on him, never faced the other way. From the beginning, when he just discovered he was adopted, and Regina made his life miserable and every ounce of hope was taken away from him, she stood by his side. She made him laugh. She trusted him wholeheartedly, even when faced with the idea that everything she thought to be true was an illusion. She brought the hope back.

"You're wrong" he said sternly, beginning to back away from Pan, whom he could finally see as the monster everyone was telling him he was. He arched his eyebrows, clearly surprised and bewildered. Emma, Neal and Regina exchanged hopeful glances, as Yazi felt her energy returning. She didn't know if it was because the spell casted over the moon had faded, or because her heart knew she had succeeded.

"Henry, don't listen to her. She's just being a little resentful" Pan said kind of mockingly, and Yazi could see a hint of panic crossing his face, for a very brief moment before being replaced by his nonchalant glance "She's trying to get into your head because she doesn't want to see this place come back to life"

"No. You are" he snapped "Yazi's my best friend. Everything she does, she has a good reason for it. You don't" Pan clenched his jaw furiously "You're just a liar and a schemer. And I'm not going to save you"

"It's over" Neal spoke up, seeing that his son didn't want anything to do with the demon anymore.

Pan sighed remorsefully, and anyone could tell it was incredibly fake.

"I hate that it had to come to this, Henry" he spoke up, but he clearly didn't "I really wanted it to be your choice, but...At last, I'll have to do it myself" and smoothly, without warning, without so much as giving anyone a chance to say anything, he pushed Henry's hand into his chest, effectively placing the heart in its spot.

**I changed POVs there for a second, I've been doing that more and more lately. I might just do that in all the chapters to come, especially because there are certain things about other characters' thoughts that I want you to read.**

**Anyway, I changed the ending of the episode a little bit there! At first, i thought about just having it run its course, and Henry ignoring everyone's warnings, even Yazi's, and doing what Pan told him to. But I chose better, and I like how it turned out! I hope you did too!**

**See you soon!**


	26. The Calm Before the Storm

Since the spell Emma and Regina casted on the moon to block it wasn't gone yet, Yazi was still weak. So instead of going off with Emma, Regina and Mary Margaret to get Henry's heart back, she stayed with Hook, Neal and David preparing the Jolly Roger, or at least providing moral support, to set sail with a couple more passengers than before. More specifically, the Lost Boys, who made them promise they too would be taken to Storybrooke.

Turns out, contrary to what Yazi thought, they actually didn't want to stay in Neverland. They wanted to go home, back to their families. They were miserable around Pan, who was always ordering them around and suggesting very deadly games. And she could understand that.

Well, all but Felix, who for some strange reason was still Pan's loyal follower. All he had been doing since they got on the ship was glare at everything and everyone. She wondered if his eyes ever got tired.

Yazi wondered if Henry was dreaming about something as she stared through the window in the first mate's quarters. Captain's quarter was reserved for Henry when he woke up. All three men had agreed that she should stay in bed so she could rest after everything she had gone through, and she was alright with it.

If he was dreaming, she hoped it was a nice dream. Away from everything he had to endure for a week and a half.

"You feeling okay?" she heard Neal's voice ahead of her, and she looked up to see him standing at the entrance.

"Overall" she replied, tilting her head to the side, shifting her position "I just can't wait to lay in my bed for five days straight when we get home" he chuckled slightly upon hearing her words.

"You think that's healed?" he asked quietly, motioning to the bandage on her skin.

"I don't know" she had completely forgotten she had it on her, she could barely feel it "Maybe?" she asked doubtfully, reaching out for it and taking it out slowly. It was kinda bloody, but nothing too excessive "How is it?" she wondered, moving her head to the side so he could get a better look at it.

"It's almost completely gone" he announced. The only sign there was of a previous injury was a small scar, that was clearly in its last moments.

"Must have healed somewhere between the Dark Hollow and the eclipse" she commented absentmindedly "I don't want to see another new moon for at least three months" she added, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Time _does_ work differently here" Neal shot logically, placing his hands on his pockets "Pan can change the phases as he pleases"

"You think he can change the color too?" she questioned, as she thought about the last day in Neverland, before she had to part ways with Neal, when a red moon showed up mysteriously, out of nowhere. She didn't know why she was thinking about that now, but she was.

"What do you mean?" he questioned, and Yazi was reminded of the fact that he hadn't seen the red moon that night. It was just her, almost like a private show.

"I'm just tired. When I'm tired, I ask stupid questions" she replied, shrugging it off, making him chuckle once again.

"Henry?!" they heard Emma's voice as she stepped on deck, putting and end to their conversation "Where is he?!" she smiled, that could only mean that they had succeeded in recovering Henry's heart.

"Go" Yazi motioned to the door, and he nodded before going off. She wanted to be there, too, but she knew it was better to stay put. She still feared she would stumble if she got off the bed, especially because they would begin sailing away soon, and a moving boat was not the most solid platform.

Besides, Henry had seen her for several days, he probably wanted to be more with his family, whom he was completely isolated from in Neverland.

She could hear voices, but she was too far away to distinguish what they were saying. Though she had a feeling it was only good things. She knew the three women were not going to come back until they could effectively save Henry, and the fact that they had was all the proof she needed.

She smiled slightly, beginning to drift off, all the exhaustion she had been accumulating for the past few days falling on her all at once, but then she heard steps. Someone was approaching her.

"Yazi?!" she opened her eyes again, recognizing that voice. And soon enough, Henry was standing at the door. He was beaming, and sprinted towards her, immediately wrapping her in a tight hug. Considering her body wasn't in its optimum condition, it was a little too tight, but her joy of seeing her best friend safe and sound overlapped it "I'm so glad to see you"

"Me too" she nodded with a smile when they broke apart, and then proceeded to sit straight "Even if I do feel like hell right now" she said jokingly, and he chuckled slightly "But what are you doing here? Don't you want to be with your parents? With Neal?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing" he admitted, sitting in front of her on the bed. She shook head in disbelief, the smile still on her face. He should be resting right now, he had been through a lot, but instead came to check up on her "And talk to you" he added a bit more quietly, almost bashful, and she gave him a curious look upon hearing that.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's not like that, don't worry" he shook his head in assurance "I wanted to apologize actually"

"What for?" he had nothing to apologize for.

"Not listening to you" he replied, and Yazi sighed. That wasn't his fault "You kept warning me about Pan, but I didn't listen"

"The only person to blame here is Pan" she stated calmly "He is a manipulative person who's used to always getting his way. He takes advantage of people without any regard for who they are. If someone else had the heart of the truest believer, he would have done the same with them" she searched his face for any sort of compliance or agreement, but found none, so she kept talking "He used me too" she admitted, and he frowned in surprise "The night of the duel, he knew I wouldn't be able to hold on, so as soon as you fell asleep he locked me in a cage"

"Why?"

"Because he knew that if there was nobody around for you, it would be easier to persuade you into sacrificing your life" she replied. She still didn't understand why he had chose her instead of anyone else to give Henry hope and then crush it down. The only reason she could think of was because she was the only child that came to save him. She was no ordinary person to the boy, just a best friend. Not that she had any problems with that, there was nothing more she could ever ask for.

But she was not going to think about that any longer, he was taken care of. There wasn't anything else to worry about.

"Stop blaming yourself" she kept saying "If anything, blame me. I was there. I should have done something"

"You did all you could" he assured, shaking his head "I should've trusted you more"

"You did in the end" she said optimistically.

"Yeah, you were very persuasive" he agreed with a smile, making her chuckle.

"And I meant every word" she said firmly, but softly "I will always believe in you. Don't forget that"

"I won't" he replied "And it goes both ways" she smiled slightly, but her expression then shifted slightly, as she remembered there were still a few things with pending discussion.

"There's something I need to tell you" she announced, and he frowned.

"What is it?"

"I could" she admitted, leaning back towards the end of the bed.

"Huh?" Henry asked, giving her a curious look.

"You asked me if I could hear the pipe" she clarified, giving him a brief look before focusing her gaze on the floor. She couldn't bare to look at him "I could" he arched his eyebrows in surprise upon hearing that declaration "I always have. I thought I had moved past it when I returned, but it turns out it still hurts"

"What does?" he questioned, and she sighed. It was almost embarrassing to admit it, it made her feel like a terrible person "You can tell me, Yaz" he continued, his tone soft

"I know, I just...Don't want you to think less of me" she said quietly, avoiding his gaze.

"I would never do that" he assured, shaking his head "You don't have to worry about it. I promise" she smiled slightly upon hearing his words, believing he was telling the truth. She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before beginning to speak.

"Being an orphan" she finally admitted "It still hurts. It wasn't as bad when I was cursed, because I had the slightest bit of hope that I would be able to see them one day" Aria Griffin thought that her parents had abandoned her in an orphanage, but at least they were alive somewhere. And she had never told anyone, but she actually planned to look for them once she was old enough "But after the curse was broken, that hope died. And I realized that I will never see them again, I didn't even get to say goodbye"

"What about my grandma?" he questioned, and it took her a second to realize he was talking about Mary Margaret. The family tree was quite confusing, especially now that they had to add Pan to the equation "She fostered you. She's not the same as your mom, but she does love you"

"And I do too" she admitted "But...I can't ask her to take care of me anymore, she has her own family to worry about" and she wasn't really part of it. She was an outsider to everyone there.

"She won't be able to do that" Henry insisted, and Yazi knew he was right. That wasn't who Mary Margaret was, she always took care of everyone, even neglecting herself sometimes.

"And that's my point" she said calmly, as the woman's face flashed through her mind "I feel like I've turned into a duty for her, a weight she has to carry" a burden, if she went to extremes. She couldn't help feeling she was getting in the way of the relationship with the people she cared about the most in the world, her husband and daughter.

"You feel unloved" he realized, and there was no judgement in his voice, no anger. Just plain understanding "That's why you could hear it" she was under no circumstances blaming Mary Margaret for that, not even Regina for having killed her family. It was just her, who wasn't able to protect them, and now she felt like she couldn't either.

"All this time I was telling myself that there was no way I would stay in Neverland with Peter Pan and the lost boys" she continued "But there was a very deep part of me that was actually considering it" she was ashamed to admit it, but she promised herself she would tell Henry everything, and that included the dark fragments of her narration.

"But you didn't" he pointed out "You were strong enough to not give in to the temptation" she sighed, kinda agreeing with his words, but it still didn't feel right "Storybrooke's your home, you would have just felt miserable staying in Neverland. Especially after everything Pan did" and that was exactly why it felt terrible to admit it. She knew perfectly well what kind of person he was and what he was capable of doing, but she still played around with the idea that she could get used to it.

"I'm a terrible person" she scolded herself absentmindedly, chuckling dryly, and completely forgetting Henry was there.

"You're not" he stated firmly, and she looked at him, not entirely convinced "You're the kindest person I know" she shook her head in denial.

"That's not true" she stated, shaking her head, and he frowned "I lied to you" she admitted, avoiding his gaze "I wasn't sent to infiltrate the camp. I got into an argument with...Everyone" she scoffed at her own stupidity, it was so immature of her "Because they didn't listen to me, even after I warned them so many times about Pan and his twisted mind" she made a pause "I decided to leave them, so I could look for you on my own" he remained quiet, listening attentively "Pan offered to take me to you, and...I agreed" saying she was a kind person was an overstatement. She was far from it, and she couldn't let him think that of her. It wasn't fair, she wasn't an angel "Even knowing that it was stupid and immature, I never stopped to think about the consequences it could bring"

"You made a mistake" he replied sympathetically, and Yazi couldn't believe he was acting so calm about it "Everyone make mistakes all the time. That doesn't make you a bad person"

"You don't understand, Henry" she stated "I wanted to hurt them" they way they had hurt her by underestimating her "Make them see that I was right, and they should've listened to me" she felt tears pricking her eyes, but she couldn't stop now "I'm not this...Perfect person you think I am"

"And that's exactly why I get along with you" he said firmly, and she looked at him with a frown, not understanding what he was saying "If I wanted someone that always does the correct things and never loosens up, I'll hang out with Melody Stone" she smiled slightly as some tears began streaming down her cheek. She knew who he was talking about, it was a girl in their class, who was the epitome of a goody two shoes. She was always sucking up to the teachers and telling everyone else what they should and should not do "I mean, c'mon. You were a thief. A lost girl. You can turn things into gold. You know how to use a sword. How cool is that?!" he sounded very excited when he said that last part, which made her chuckle a little bit "Yeah, you're reckless and hot-tempered. Too forthright and sometimes incredibly impulsive, but you're also my best friend. And dealing with all your craziness is part of my job, one I'll do gladly. Nothing is going to change that"

"Thanks, Henry" she admitted gratefully, pulling him for a hug, which he returned tightly. She felt slightly better; it still didn't ease the guilt in her heart, but, at least, it would make the process easier, even if it took a very long while. Which she was sure it would "You should probably get some rest" she indicated once they broke apart "Tomorrow we can watch _Captain America_ or something"

"I'll take you up on that offer" he said with a smile, as he stood up to leave "Good night, Yazi"

"Good night, Henry"

Little did they know, they would not be able to watch anything for a very long time.

* * *

**We're getting near the end of 3A! 3B probably won't be as long as this part was, but Yazi will have a major role in regards to Henry and the memory loss we all know it's gonna happen. That's all I'm telling you though!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll try to get the next one to you as soon as possible!**


	27. Red Flag

The morning after, Yazi stood on the Jolly Roger's deck, keeping her gaze on the horizon, and trying not to look down at the ocean far below them. She was feeling a lot better than before, both physically and mentally, but they were so high up that it could give anyone vertigo.

The conversation she shared with Henry the previous night was still repeating in her head, and it brought a smile to her face. She felt she could talk to him about things she couldn't discuss with anyone else, and that, to some extent, he understood her and sympathized with her, even if their lives were completely different.

Henry would never know what it felt like to steal and hide for a living, the same way she would never know what it felt like to be adopted. But that didn't mean they couldn't try; she hated to burden him with her problems, but at the same time, there was just something about speaking with him that eased her heart and provided peace of mind, something that nobody else could do for her, not even Neal. Not like Henry did. He truly was her best friend. And she wished he didn't have to go through something like what Pan did to him ever again. He was sleeping now, and she wanted him to rest as much as he wanted to; he deserved it. He deserved that and much more

"Yazi?" a voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and she turned away from the sky, to find Mary Margaret. The others had gotten closer as well, even Regina, and by their faces, there was something going on "We've been talking" she began, making the girl look at her curiously "Amongst all of us" she added, giving everyone around them a brief look "And we wanted to say that we're sorry" Yazi frowned, sorry for what? "We should have listened to you about Pan and the island. You knew the situation we were getting ourselves into perfectly well, but we didn't pay any attention to your warnings"

"I can't really blame you" she replied, giving theM a small smile "I did act like a child"

"But that's okay" David picked up where his wife had left off "Because it was thanks to you that Henry didn't let Pan get to him" Emma nodded in agreement.

"You saved him, Yazi" the blonde woman gave her a warm smile.

"You're one fierce lass" Hook spoke up, and he too was grinning slightly.

"Yazi, you have to understand" her foster mother continued, making the girl look at her curiously "When most of us met you, when _I _met you, you were a child" she began saying "You were scared and lost" out of the corner of her eye, the girl spotted Regina looking quite uncomfortable. The first sign, hopefully of many, that showed that she was genuinely trying to be better "And I felt the need to protect you. When David woke me up, and I found out that you were gone, I was afraid for you, because I didn't know if you would be able to survive on your own" the golden child remained quiet, listening attentively "And Yazi, you are still a child, but you also became a warrior. A hero" she added firmly, making the girl smile slightly upon hearing those words. Everyone else seemed to agree "That year you were away changed you, in many ways. The Yazi Scarlett that left the Enchanted Forest was not the same one that returned, and I guess I just…" she looked for the appropriate words "Didn't realize it, and wanted to protect you like before" the girl gave her a sympathetic look, understanding where she was coming from "But you don't need that anymore, you are capable of amazing things. And what happened this past week is only further proof of that"

"You're a very resourceful, girl, Miss Scarlett" Rumpelstiltskin, now out of Pandora's Box, where Pan, who apparently was his father, had trapped him inside of, chimed in from besides his son.

"Thanks" she replied with a small smile, giving him a grateful look. She appreciated the compliment, even if it came from the Dark One.

"Neal thought it would be a good idea for you to have this" Emma spoke up, taking out the man's old sword from the sheath.

"Really?" she questioned in surprise, looking at him, and he nodded with a smile.

"You'll make good use of it" he commented.

"Are you okay with it?" Yazi asked, looking at Emma and Hook.

"It's not mine, I just kept it" the captain replied, shrugging it off.

"And I prefer something a bit more modern" Emma said with a small smile, and Yazi knew she was probably talking about a gun, which sounded just right for the woman.

"Thank you" she said as she took the sword in her hand, and Emma untied the sheath to give it to her.

Things seemed to be looking up.

Yazi felt the ship trembling as it crossed realms, which could only mean that when they landed, they would be back in Storybrooke. She felt steps behind her, and when she turned around, she noticed Henry was awake.

"Hey!" she greeted, approaching him "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a rock" he replied with a nod, though he didn't elaborate more on it.

"Thanks again for last night" she commented, giving him a smile "It really meant a lot"

"Uh...No problem" he replied, even though he had no idea what she was talking about. Yazi frowned slightly upon hearing his doubtful response, but decided not to comment on it.

"Are you excited to be back home?" she asked, changing the topic. She surely was, she never wanted to hear the word 'lost girl' or the name 'Peter Pan' ever again. She had enough of that for a lifetime.

"Very" he replied shortly, giving her a small smile, before going off to talk to his father. Yazi watched after him with a curious look; it was nothing like him to reply with such simple answers, and the way he talked to her was kind of cold. She decided she would ask him about it later that day, when they were watching the movie they had agreed on.

Well, guess what. That did not happen.

Yazi waited for Henry at the Blanchard loft for almost two hours, but he never showed up. Didn't even send her a text letting her know. She even told Mary Margaret she would go to Granny's, where they had arranged to sit down, eat, catch up with everyone that had been left in Storybrooke and assign the lost-no-longer-lost boys their rooms at the inn, when she finished watching the movie with her best friend.

Seeing that it clearly wasn't going to happen, she threw on a coat and began making her way to the restaurant.

As soon as she opened the door, several voices hit her like a wave, each one involved in their own conversations.

Neal and Hook were sitting at the bar table, two glasses of what Yazi could only assume was some sort of alcoholic beverage in their hands. But the most weird part about that whole situation was that they seemed to be talking like decent human beings; she half expected to find them involved in a competition of who could drink faster without throwing up. Considering that they had a fight over a stupid lighter not so long ago, it didn't seem like such a crazy possibility.

Regina and Tinkerbell were on one of the tables, talking amiably as well; apparently, based on what Mary Margaret had told her, they shared some sort of rocky past (What a surprise, someone not liking the Evil Queen), but she assumed they were over it now.

Her foster mother and David were on another table, talking with Ruby, and Leroy with Mother Superior in a corner.

And sitting in one of the furthers booths, she spotted Henry drinking a glass of what seemed to be coke, which was kind of surprising. She assumed the first thing he would want to drink would be hot chocolate. And he looked completely calm and relaxed, as if he hadn't just stood her up. He wasn't doing anything important either, he was just...There, looking around, sort of awkwardly, as if he felt uncomfortable there. She wondered why. He was finally safe, he should be jumping for joy.

"I hope you have a good reason as to why you let me wait for you for two hours straight" she spoke up, folding her arms angrily; he looked up at her, and it didn't seem like he knew what she was talking about, which only infuriated her even more "We agreed yesterday we'd watch a movie today" she pointed out, running out of patience; it was very thin, as you might have noticed.

"Sorry" he replied with an apologetic smile "I wasn't really feeling up to it" she arched her eyebrows in disbelief, and as much as she wanted to continue screaming at him, the conversation they shared last night prevented her from doing so. It was something she didn't want to ruin, though she was still resentful.

"You could have at least texted me" she grumbled, reaching over and sliding his glass towards her, before taking a quick sip. He looked quite surprised about that "What?" she demanded, shrugging "You do this to me all the time, don't get offended now" it was true. Whenever she was eating cereal, he'd grab a few grains; hot cocoa because he was faster at finishing it than her? Yes, please. Marshmallows? He'd always steal four or five from her plate. He had no right to complain.

She expected him to say some witty remark about how he had paid for that, but nothing came, which was even weirder than the fact that he had chosen coke over chocolate.

"I saw you talking with Felix earlier" she commented, after waiting for two more minutes and not hearing his voice. He visibly tensed upon hearing her words, but did his best to hide it "What did he say to you? Is he planning on murdering all of us in our sleep?" she heard his chuckle, only to realize that his lips hadn't actually moved.

There was definitely something off.

"He's not a problem anymore" he replied "He's locked in at the sheriff's station" he added, completely missing her joke. She was about to comment on it, but Emma showed up, preventing her from doing so. She placed the fairytale book in front of Henry, who looked at it with the most uninterested gaze Yazi had ever seen him wearing.

"Well, don't be too excited" the woman commented good-heartedly, for sure noticing what the girl did "Neal still had it in his room, we thought you'd want it. Especially since you have just lived a fairytale of your own" she added with a smile, but it still seemed that he had no idea what the book was, and the gears in Yazi's head began spinning. If he wasn't acting weird before, he definitely was now.

"It's not a math problem, it's a book" the girl spoke up, talking about his perplexed expression. He gave her an inquisitive look "You know, your fairytale book? The one that started this whole thing?" he didn't answer "Did you get hit on the head or something?"

"Oh, right!" he stated, as if he had just remembered that the fairytale book was a thing, but something didn't feel right. Henry would never forget about something so important to him "Thanks" he added, opening it up.

As he did that, Yazi exchanged looks with Emma, who seemed to be as suspicious as her. They had a silent conversation.

_What's going on?_

_I don't know, he's been weird ever since we landed in Storybrooke._

_Should I ask?_

_Definitely._

"You okay?" the woman finally questioned, giving him a concerned frown.

"Yeah, why?" Yazi could think of a bunch of reasons, but she didn't know if it was a good idea to mention them with him present. She gave the woman another look, and motioned to the side. Simple gesture.

_Let's talk._

Emma understood it almost immediately, and they both stood up and went to a separate corner, as far away from Henry as they could.

"Before coming here, did he mention anything about watching a movie with me?" she questioned, standing by the front door.

"I don't think so" Emma replied, shaking her head "Why?"

"Because we agreed to do that yesterday, and he never showed up" she explained. It'd seem like a silly complain to someone else, but when it came to him, it wasn't. He had never once missed an opportunity to hang out with her. They were apart in Neverland for merely two days, there was no way he had changed so much in two days. And the conversation they shared the night before was definitely genuine, she could feel it. She could see it in his eyes, nobody could fake a look like that, a look so full of understanding and support.

"He never forgets something like that" the woman stated, and Yazi nodded in agreement, glad she wasn't the only one who thought it was weird "I thought he'd be happier to have his book back" the book meant the world to Henry, because of the hope it brought him, and because of the person that brought it with her "He looked at it as if it was homework"

"I can't shake the feeling that there's something wrong with him" Yazi admitted, and it wasn't a 'he's tired' kind of wrong, it was something worse. Much worse. The more time she spent around him, the more she felt it.

Emma looked over her shoulder, to see him going through the pages of the book, but he didn't look absorbed in them like he usually did. He was rather...Unimpressed.

"We keep an eye on him" the woman decided, turning to look back at Yazi, who nodded.

A couple hours later, Yazi was still sitting in front of Henry, reading a book of her own. She tried to start conversations with him, but they were always two words too short, and, to be honest, it didn't seem like he actually wanted to talk to her.

But she decided to stay anyway, to, like she had agreed with Emma, keep an eye on him. His interest in the book didn't seem to get any better. She offered to buy him some hot chocolate as a 'welcoming gift' (it was mostly to see what he would respond, a test of sorts), he didn't want it. And she occasionally noticed him giving Granny's, but most importantly, herself, skeptical glances, as if he was analyzing her or something. It made her highly uncomfortable, which was a new feeling around him. Every single voice in her head kept saying 'Danger', all they were missing was a police siren to accompany their cries.

"Okay, kid" Emma spoke up, approaching them; she gave Yazi a quick look, asking how everything was going, and the girl's gaze clearly said 'Not good' "Time for something you didn't have in Neverland" she added, taking notice of Yazi's stare and engraving it in her mind as her eyes set on her son "Bedtime" Henry nodded, and began closing the book. The almost empty glass of coke stumbled when the cover hit it "Oh, careful with that" she warned, moving it closer to Yazi and further from the edge of the table "Granny won't be too happy if we break one of her vintage glasses"

The wires in Yazi's head connected, and an idea formed in her head as she looked at the drink. A test that would definitely tell her whether the red flags that she was seeing were, in fact, red flags.

Emma walked by first, and when Henry did, Yazi 'accidentally' hit the glass with her elbow, making it fall to the ground.

"Oh, sorry!" she apologized quickly, looking down to see that, just like she expected, her 'friend' had grabbed it mid air.

In that simple act, she noticed four things, but those four things held the answer to all her questions:

1\. No witty remark. Again.

2\. The reflexes of a CIA agent. Not even a single drop of coke had hit the floor.

3\. He was left-handed.

4\. None of the above were right.

This was not her best friend.


	28. Erased

**Surprise, I'm not dead!**

**I'm so, so sorry this took so long to update, but I was out of the country for a while so I had other things to focus on, and when I returned this whole pandemic thing broke out, so I had to do some adjusting, but now I'm back, with the end of season 3A, no less.**

**I'm so grateful to the people that are still on the lookout for updates of this story, if there's any at all and once again, I'm so sorry it took so long. I'll try not to let so much time pass again, cause I love this story and the characters, and I have so many more things planned that I hope I can get to eventually. Just bare with me if I don't update every week, that's all I ask. Other than that, I'll try to post more regularly now, considering I have a lot more time than before despite still having online classes. **

**So, without further ado, Welcome back to Yazi's world!**

* * *

One of the things that stood out the most in Storybrooke, was the fact that whenever there was a celebration going on, be it a birthday or a 'congratulations on returning back alive' celebration, everyone went. And I mean _everyone_. Which implied that the buildings were empty and, considering that nobody ever showed up in Storybrooke since it didn't even appear on the maps, opened, for there was no danger of anyone wreaking havoc.

That's why, Yazi was not surprised when the door to the sheriff's station opened just like that. She scanned the area, in search of anyone that might see what she was about to do, but it was empty. So, gripping the handle of her newly acquired sword tightly, she got in, making sure to shut the door close behind her.

Upon getting in, she immediately saw him. Felix was sitting on the bench of his cell, looking pissed off at the world like he usually did. There was a tray of food on the floor in front of him, completely untouched. When he spotted her, his lips curled in amusement.

"Look what the cat dragged in" he commented, leaning back towards the wall "Come to pay me a visit, lost girl?"

"Shut up" she snapped; she didn't have the patience to deal with his cocky comments.

"Someone's fired up" he kept taunting, but Yazi ignored him and opened one of the drawers on the desk, the one that held a copy to the keys of the cell. Felix's demeanor clearly shifted upon seeing the shiny object in her hands.

"I'm not getting you out of here, so don't get any ideas" she stated as she approached him, before inserting the key.

"Wouldn't dream of it" he replied calmly, _too_ calm in her opinion.

"I just want to talk" she added, turning the key and getting in, immediately closing the door behind her and standing against it. If he wanted to get out, he'd have to go through her, and she was very pissed off at the moment, so she wouldn't hesitate to slash his stupid face if he even so much as attempted to get up.

"And I don't have any other choice but to listen, I guess" he replied meekly.

"Where's Henry?" she went straight to the point, she was not in the mood to beat around the bush.

"In the town, where else?" he replied; Yazi looked into his eyes to see any trace of his lie, but even when she found nothing, she knew he wasn't being honest.

"Don't play games with me, Felix, I'm not in the mood" she said sharply "Where the hell is my best friend? Because whoever is in town right now is not him" she'd sensed it from the moment they spoke aboard the Jolly Roger, before landing. And it only went south from there. He was not himself, at all. In fact, he was acting like a completely different person. And it made her incredibly antsy, as if she was walking through the middle of a dark and empty forest, with no idea of what was hiding beneath the shadows. There, where the light didn't reach.

"How would you know?" Yazi rolled her eyes exaggeratedly upon hearing his words.

"Are you really that deprived of human love that you don't understand the basic concept of a best friend?" she snapped, but Felix remained unfazed by her clear insult "_I know him_"

"People change" he replied "You weren't always around him in Neverland, lost girl, and Pan can be very persuasive" Yazi's thin patience ran out. He was stalling, not willing to give her an answer, and she was done.

"Felix, look around you" she spoke up dangerously calm, while approaching him "You're in Storybrooke, Pan is not here to protect you and you're locked up in this place, defenseless and alone with a girl who can turn things into gold" he raised his eyebrows in amusement "Oh, and also this" she unsheathed her sword, and placed the tip against his chest "You really don't have the advantage here, so if you want that stupid grin to remain on your face, I suggest you cooperate" Yazi usually wasn't so violent and blunt, but, at this point, she was exhausted and all she wanted to do was to lie down and enjoy a single movie with her best friend, her _real_ best friend. Just one normal day, without having to deal with manipulators, liars and traitors, that's all she wished for. And the sooner she figured out what was going on, the sooner she could get that. Was it really too much to ask?

"Ah, there's the familiar fire that made you a lost girl in the first place" Yazi clenched her jaw upon hearing him call her like that yet again; she was not lost "Where have you been hiding it all this time?"

"Felix, I swear that if you don't answer my question, I'm turning you into a golden statue and decorating the park with you" she stated, ignoring his taunting and applying more pressure to the blade.

He squinted his eyes, as if analyzing her. She read caution in his eyes, she could almost see the gears turning in his head, as he tried to figure out the best course of action based on the situation he was in.

Finally, his lips curled up into a smirk, and she didn't like it.

"You won't be able to stop him" he replied, and she frowned. That phrase could be interpreted in many ways, but none of them made her feel any better about the situation at hand.

"Stop who?"

"He never fails"

And that was all she needed.

* * *

"Pan switched bodies with Henry?" Mary Margaret questioned later that day, when Yazi told them about her conversation with Felix. The girl nodded.

"Somehow, he made it out of Neverland" she explained, as she leaned against the wall in the loft "And he trapped him in Pandora's Box when he went to sleep that day" she added. She still couldn't believe it, she had talked to him minutes before and now he was gone. She was sure that in the conversation they had he was still himself, she felt it in her heart.

"That's why he didn't recognize his own book" Emma realized, and Yazi nodded in agreement.

"And why he completely ditched me" she added "Because he wasn't even aware that we were supposed to meet" that also meant that he hadn't been Pan for a long time, because if he didn't remember they were supposed to watch a movie, the switch had to happen right after that, most probably when he left for the captain's quarters at the Jolly Roger after paying her a visit.

"But how do we know Felix is telling the truth?" David asked, which was reasonable.

"I had a sword up his neck and threatened to turn him into a golden statue, I doubt he'd risk it" Yazi replied bluntly and logically, while the man gave her a surprised, and kind of impressed, look "Felix might be many things, but stupid is not one of them. He knows what I'm capable of"

"He could just be playing you" Mary Margaret commented, and Yazi understood why it would be so hard to trust what Felix was saying. He worked for Pan, he was his loyal guard dog, the unreasonable thing would be to believe him, but Yazi knew she was right. There was no other explanation.

"It's too...Perfect" Emma replied "There's too many details for it to be made up" Yazi seconded what the woman was saying; her job was to search for people and in order to do that, she needed to be able to distinguish lies from truths.

"Well, there's only one way to find out"

* * *

Convincing Mr. Gold to give Pandora's Box to them was a lot easier than Yazi thought. Of course, he argued against it for a while, but eventually agreed, and that's why all of them were driving towards the town line.

Yazi was convinced of her theory, but they couldn't really take any chances, so they were going to open the box on the other side. Therefore, if it was actually Pan and not Henry, he wouldn't have a chance to hurt them. And they could finally get rid of him.

They got off their cars, and approached it. Gold attempted to walk to the other side, but Emma stopped him.

"Yazi and I are doing this" he was not amused by this.

"I can cross the line and retain my memories" Gold argued.

"It's not about that" the woman kept saying "There's no magic over there. All due respect, the real world is our expertise" it wasn't just that, though. Yazi and Emma had agreed that the true reason why the two of them would go to the other side was because they couldn't really trust anyone else with it; they were the only two that were convinced about the switch, and also, the only ones who could prove for certain that they were right, since, out of everyone there, they were the ones who knew Henry the best "It's our hunch. If it fails, you're more than welcome to pick up the pieces" she finished confidently, and both of them went over to the other side. Emma took out her gun just in case, and Yazi stood straight and alert right besides her.

"Be careful" Mary Margaret said with a worried gaze, and her daughter gave her an assuring look.

"You ready, kid?" the blonde woman turned to look at the girl, who nodded in agreement. She was ready to get her best friend back. They, then turned to look at Gold in a silent signal, and he began to open the box.

Yazi never left her gaze wander from the red mist floating in the air, and when it finally materialized into Pan's body, she followed his every move. At first, he looked around, probably disoriented, and then he looked at his body, even more confused. His gaze then set on the people on the other side of the town line, all four of them keeping their considerable distance, looking at him with distrust. But 'Pan' looked even more anxious.

And then, he saw the two of them.

"Yazi? Mom?" he questioned, looking at the gun Emma was pointing at him with a lot of worry "What are you doing? I'm Henry! Pan, he switched our bodies"

"We know" Yazi assured, giving him a smile she hoped would provide some sort of comfort. She couldn't help thinking about how weird it was to be smiling at the face she had come to hate so much.

Doing her best to ignore that, she looked at the expectators on the other side, who didn't look very convinced.

"But we need proof"

"If you're really Henry, you'll have to tell us something only he would know" Emma continued, and Yazi wished she would just lower the gun already.

"I got trapped in the mines with Yazi" he began tallying up "I tried blowing up the well. I like hot cocoa with cinnamon"

"This proves nothing" Gold said sternly.

"He's right. Henry could've told Pan all of this in Neverland" Mary Margaret replied, holding tightly onto David; she looked pretty scared. And Yazi had to admit she had a point; she wasn't always with Henry, so it wasn't difficult to imagine she didn't know about everything that the Neverland king and him had talked about. It was precisely because of that, that her best friend almost lost all hope.

But if they wanted something else, she would give it to them.

"Last night" she began, taking a step forward. She noticed the anxious looks everyone gave her upon seeing her walk closer to him, but trapped in someone else's body or not, Henry would never harm her. So, bravely, she took one more step "We had a conversation. I told you I wasn't a perfect person, what did you say to me?"

"That I knew it already, and that's why I got along with you" he replied promptly.

"He could've been Pan already by then" David stated, and Yazi resisted the urge of giving him an annoyed look.

"We can't be sure about the timeline" Emma agreed with her father "You'll need something else, kid"

"Fine" she replied, and began to rummage through her brain, in search of something that would be undeniable proof, something that happened before the whole Neverland fiasco.

"This is a waste of time" Mr. Gold stated once again, but Yazi noticed that Belle hit him slightly on the shoulder to get him to shut up, which she greatly appreciated

Finally, it came to her. It was only something they knew about. It was too personal, too private for Pan or anyone else to be aware of. Now, it would no longer be that way, but it was a necessary action to take if she wanted to convince everyone about her hunch.

"On my birthday, you gifted me a necklace" he nodded, clearly remembering that "And I gave you something, too. What was it?" he frowned, and Yazi watched his gestures expectantly. He seemed like he was trying too hard to remember something, and she began to panic. Had she been wrong this entire time?

But, in the end, he looked up at her again, a smile on his face.

"A drawing" she sighed in relief. He did remember.

"Where?"

"In my wrist"

"What was it and what did it mean?"

"It was a moon. Combined with your necklace, it made up a night sky. You told me they complimented each other, the way you and I do" Yazi noticed that Mary Margaret, David, and Belle seemed very touched by that small but so meaningful gesture; the golden child looked at Emma, who was giving her an expecting glance, and she confirmed both of their suspicions with a nod.

The woman immediately lowered the gun, and Henry and her embraced tightly. He attempted to approach Yazi, but she took a step back

"Don't get any closer" Henry gave her a deeply confused frown "I can't hug you when you look like this, it makes me highly uncomfortable" he chuckled, shaking his head in amusement, which earned a collective laugh "But I'm glad you're okay. You still owe me a movie"

"And you owe me a hug"

"I'll give it to you when you're back into your own body"

* * *

After some very arduous tasks, including Gold opening Regina's vault which had been locked tight with magic, sealing Pan's shadow and burning it, recovering the Black Fairy's wand so Gold could make the switch again and return people to their respective bodies, meeting Henry in his true body with the dark curse Pan stole from the vault, and Regina waking up from her second passing out of the day, Yazi and everyone else were standing in the middle of the town as Regina held the dark curse, that, apparently, had just shown her 'what needed to be done', whatever that meant.

"Mom, will you be okay?" Henry questioned with worry, holding his mother's hand tightly.

"The important thing is you will be" she replied, caressing his cheek softly. But then, Yazi watched in horror as the piece of parchment that contained the dark curse vanished from her hand.

"No, he won't" she'd recognize that voice anywhere. Looking up, she found Peter Pan approaching them, looking pretty irritated, and making everyone take a step back and raise their guards as a response to his menacing attitude.

"He has the-" before Hook could finish his sentence, Pan raised his hand and froze everyone, preventing any sort of attempt to stop him. Yazi tried to lean forward, move her fingertips, and even move some hair that was bothering her off her face, but her limbs would not respond. She was stuck there, nailed to the spot next to Neal.

"Curse?" he spoke up with a sardonic grin "That I do" he took some steps forward, and stood right in front of Belle and Neal, his...Grandson and daughter in law?

Yazi quickly got rid of that image, she still couldn't get used to the fact that Gold was Henry's grandfather, she couldn't even begin to think about the fact that Peter Pan was her best friend's great grandfather. Everyone in that town was related to some degree, apparently.

Wait, if she had kissed Neal, did that make her….

Nope, scratch that. Put it in a box, leave it aside.

"You both look so adorable" he said, feigning sympathy, and then his gaze stood on Henry and Yazi, who had also ended up fairly close to one another "And over here too" he lowered down to both their heights, and the fact that Yazi was completely still, entirely at his mercy, made her levels of anxiety go through the roof. He could do anything to her, and she wouldn't be able to stop him "Even now, you are still glued to each other. How touching" there was clear sarcasm in his voice "Hard to tell which one to kill first. Maybe both at the same time, to spare you from the suffering"

"Stay away from them" a hand grasped his shoulder, and pushed him away from the two teens. It was Gold, and it was the first time Yazi felt so relieved to see him. First and last, probably.

"How about this?" Pan asked calmly "The worm has teeth. You here to protect your loved ones?" he said, quite mockingly.

"I'm not gonna let you touch either one of them"

"Oh, I'd like to see that"

"Oh, you will. Because I have a job to finish" Yazi could easily grasp the tension between the two of them in every word they said, in every step they took. It was almost like a tv show, she was on the edge of her seat to see what would happen next, preferably not ending with either one of them being killed "And I have to do it, whatever it takes" Pan was clearly entertained by this prospect "And what needs to be done has a price. A price I'm finally willing to pay" he then turned to look at Neal, who, like all of them, could only stand and listen quietly "I used the curse to find you, Bae. To tell you I made a mistake, to make sure you had a chance at happiness" Pan snickered, and Yazi used her eyes, the only part of her body she was able to move, to glare at him "And that happiness is possible, just not with me" Yazi frowned, wondering what that meant exactly. She had no idea of what Gold's next move would be "I accept that"

"Pretty, pretty words"

"I love you, Bae" Gold ignored Pan's comments, his eyes only moving from his son when it was time to look at the other person he loved, Belle "And I love you, Belle. You made me stronger"

"Stronger?" the teen-not-so-teen interrupted again "Yes, but still. No magic"

"Oh, but I don't need" Gold finally rested his gaze on him "You see, you may have lost your shadow, but there's one thing you're forgetting"

"And what's _that_?"

"So have I. I sent it away with something to hide" he raised his hand up, and Yazi watched as his own shadow brought him the dagger. Then, Gold brought his father closer to him as the shadow returned to its body, effectively adhering the two men.

"What are you doing?" Pan tried to move away, but to no avail.

"You see" Gold began, holding his dagger extremely close to his father's head "The only way for you to die, is if we both die" Yazi opened her eyes wide; his plan was to die? That didn't sound like Rumpelstiltskin at all, it was a bit surprising. Specially considering all he had done so far was to be a selfish idiot "And now, I'm ready"

And with that, he stabbed his father on the back. A black mist materialized and absorbed the teenage boy, to reveal the old man that had been hiding inside all this time.

"Hello, papa" Gold stated with a dangerous voice, the one Yazi recognized as his 'Threat' voice, having been the victim of it quite a few times for the past months.

"Rumple, please" his father begged, and it was very weird for Yazi to no longer hear the voice he had grown so used to every day for six months "You can stop this. Move the dagger. We can start over, we can have a happy ending"

"Ah, but I'm a villain. And villains don't get happy endings" ignoring his father's words, he twisted the dagger further into the body.

First, there was a beam of light. Then, two. And then, Yazi lost count as it engulfed both men, and absorbed them into oblivion, leaving only the piece of parchment with the curse as proof that there had once been someone there.

Yazi fell forward, her knees hitting the pavement. She hadn't realized she had been trying so hard to lean forward until then, and when she turned to her sides, she saw that everyone else had recovered the ability to move as well. There was silence, only interrupted by the soft sound of Belle falling onto the street, accompanied with quiet sobbing. Yazi was the closest to her, so she approached her, still on her knees, and brought her in for a hug she was sure she desperately need it. She might not like Gold that much, but Belle was one of the sweetest people she had ever met, and she couldn't bring herself to leave her like that.

She watched silently as Regina approached the piece of parchment, her steps showing she was as shocked as everyone else. Belle's sobs grew louder, shattering Yazi's heart as she pulled her as close as she could, doing her best to comfort her.

"Regina? You okay?" Mary Margaret asked upon seeing that the woman wasn't moving.

"I'm fine" she replied simply, reaching out to grab the dark curse.

"I'm so sorry" Emma approached Neal, and Yazi didn't need to look to realize how heartbroken he was.

"My father did what he had to do" he replied, on the verge of tears, which caused another crack to open in the golden child's heart "He saved us. Regina, don't let him die for nothing" the woman didn't answer "Regina"

"What?"

"We're here for a reason, love" Hook spoke up "Pan?"

"He's dead" despite the awful circumstances they were in, Yazi couldn't help feeling satisfied about the fact that Peter Pan was dead, finally away from their lives, not being able to hurt anyone else.

"His curse remains" the pirate kept going "Can you stop it? Or should we all start preparing our swords? Cause mine is gonna take some time"

"It's here!" they heard a desperate voice yelling, and pretty quick spotted Leroy sprinting towards them "The curse, it's here!" Yazi helped Belle stand up, but didn't dare to let go of her. She would worry about the injuries she probably had on her kneecaps later, when they weren't threatened by a curse "It's coming, from all sides" his breathing was irregular "There's no escape"

"It's not too late, we can still stop it" David assured "Right?" he looked at Regina for answers.

"Yes" she replied, almost in a whisper "Yes" she said once again, as if assuring herself.

"But what's the price?" Emma asked "Gold said that there was a price, what is our price?"

"It's not our price" she replied walking ahead, and Yazi gave her a frown "It's mine" she added, turning to look at them.

"What are you talking about?" the blonde woman questioned.

"It's what I felt when I first held it. I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most" Emma's gaze immediately went to Henry, who was leaning against his father. Upon seeing his mom's glance, he approached them "I can never see him again"

"What does that mean?" Yazi asked, a strange feeling in her gut. It wasn't pleasant.

"I have no choice" Regina replied, looking at the girl, which didn't answer her question "I have to undo what I started"

"The curse that brought us to Storybrooke" Mary Margaret concluded.

"That _created_ Storybrooke" Regina corrected "It doesn't belong here. And neither do any of us"

"Breaking the curse destroys the town" David stated.

"It will weave out of existence as though it were never here"

"But then what happens to us?" Yazi questioned, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"Everyone returns to where they belong" she replied, not being able to meet her gaze "Preventing us from ever coming back"

"You return to the Enchanted Forest" Emma said, trying to process the facts.

"Not just her" Yazi realized, and all faces turned to look at her. She definitely didn't like this "_All_ of us" Regina nodded, backing her up "Except…" she couldn't dare to say the next word, it was physically painful to do so. She couldn't even dare to look at the person in question.

"Henry" Regina finished for her "He will stay here, because he was born here"

"Alone?" Emma questioned, clearly not liking the idea, and neither did the rest.

"No" Regina shook her head, approaching Emma and Henry "You will take him, because you're the savior. You were created to break the curse, and once again, you can escape it"

"I don't want to" she replied, shaking her head "We'll go back, with everyone"

"That's not an option"

And now, it was Yazi's turn to cry.

* * *

Yazi was never good at holding in her tears. One way or another, they would always escape her perfectly built dam, and sometimes in the most unexpected of moments. So it was taking all the willpower she could muster to nail her gaze to the floor and hold in everything as she stood by the town line, ready to say goodbye to Emma, the woman who saved her, who understood her when nobody else did, and the boy who gave her unconditional support and trust, the boy who had so much impact in her life in such a short time.

She saw a familiar pair of brown boots approaching her, and looked up to find the savior. Yazi smiled slightly, and Emma smiled back, before pulling her into a hug.

"Take care of yourself, Yazi, okay?" the woman said in her neck, to which the girl nodded.

"Thanks" the golden child stated, earning her a curious glance "For...Everything, specially for trusting a thirteen year old girl with stupid impulses so much" Emma chuckled slightly upon hearing her words.

"I know what that feels like" she replied, making Yazi giggle softly "Just remember what I told you, okay? Bottling up so much is not good, specially at your age" Yazi nodded once again, and her gaze followed her as she moved to hug Neal. She needed a whole lot of mental preparation for what followed.

When she was close to something she considered to be readiness, she forced the tears once again to stay put, and turned to look at Henry, who had been standing in front of her for a few seconds. He immediately pulled her into a warm hug, the last she would ever receive from him. She tried to indulge in it as much as she could, making sure she would never forget what it felt like.

"Take care, Henry" she said, as they finally broke apart, trying to give him a smile, a smile that said 'I'm okay', even though they both knew she wasn't.

"You are talking as if we were never going to see each other again"

"I wouldn't really count on it, look around you" she extended her arms to the side. The green mist was getting closer, thunder could be heard, which echoed in her ears for a very long time "The town is getting destroyed. We are going back to the Enchanted Forest, and you and Emma are going back to Boston. We don't have much of a chance to see each other again, unless you find a bean in the real world, which I don't think will happen"

"Hey" he breathed out, placing his hands on her shoulders, while Yazi gave him a downhearted look "This is not goodbye. This is…Until we find a way" she smiled through her rebellious tears. Henry was definitely the truest believer; even in the depressing situation they were in, he still managed to keep his hopes up and, therefore, her own.

"Until we find a way"

"When I get back, we can watch that movie"

"I'd like that" she nodded in agreement, and gave him one last smile as he walked towards Emma. He was mid way there when she realized something "Wait, Henry" she called, making him turn to look around with a curious glance "You owe me a movie, and I owe you one last hug" she didn't wait for him to answer, she just wrapped her arms around him, ignoring the pity glances everyone around them was giving them, probably because they were in the middle of the goodbye circle that had formed and, therefore, they were the centre of attention, but Yazi couldn't care less about it now "Have a good life"

"You too" the hug lingered for a bit longer, but another drumming thunder reminded her of the situation they were in, and she pulled away, this time, forever.

Emma and Henry got into the car, and began to drive off. Regina turned around to face the storm, and raised her hands.

And just like that, the quiet town of Storybrooke, and the unique characters that had once lived in it were erased into oblivion, leaving nothing but memories of a time long gone.

* * *

**And that's a wrap on season 3A! Season 3B is coming (hopefully) soon. I hope you enjoyed this half despite its irregular updates, and look forward to season 3B, which won't be as long as this one, but will still have a lot to enjoy.**

**Also, I have to admit, I was crying a little bit while writing the last part of the chapter, even though we all know they'll meet again eventually. **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for the constant support, it means the world!**


	29. The Aftermath

**ACT THREE: PART TWO**

"_This is not goodbye, this is until we find a way"_

* * *

Yazi didn't like that Storybrooke, her safe haven, was erased from existence. She did not like being back in the Enchanted Forest, a place that held so much tragedy in its womb. She definitely did not like that her grey dress was made out of wool, which warmed her up a lot more than necessary, and it goes without saying that the mink cloak hanging from her neck, with the golden bow her mother had tied right before she told her she had to leave, was also not of her liking. She missed her colorful dresses, her pretty ballerinas and her cute sweaters, the ones that were constantly mocked by…

Her eyebrows arched in realization, as she reached for her neck. Amongst the several layers of clothing, she could feel the soft outline of a thin chain, and she sighed in relief when she realized she was still wearing the necklace. She made the attempt to take it out from underneath her dress, but as soon as she saw the golden star, she felt tears swarming her eyes, so she put it back before they could begin to fall.

"You okay?" she raised her gaze to find Neal giving her a concerned glance. She looked around and discovered that she had been so emerged in her thoughts, she didn't realize Mary Margaret...Or, rather, Snow, Charming, Regina and Hook were standing ahead, talking to Aurora and Phillip underneath the white marble pergola.

"I'm fine" she replied meekly. She really didn't want to think about the obvious reason why he was asking her that, so she chose to change the focus of the conversation "Are you?" he had just lost his father, and with the whole curse thing, she had been too distracted and worried to ask about it.

Neal remained silent for a few moments, probably lost in thought.

"Yeah" he finally replied, to which Yazi nodded even though she didn't really believe that "My father didn't turn out to so bad after all" he added with a bittersweet smile, and the girl returned it, giving his arm a comforting squeeze.

She still didn't like Rumpelstiltskin for a variety of reasons, but she could, at least, admit that what he had done for them was very noble of him. She had a little bit more respect for him now, though she wasn't going to go overboard with it.

But the one who had done the most difficult sacrifice, was definitely Regina. The girl's gaze went over to the evil queen, who was standing on the sidelines, a stern expression on her face, but Yazi was sure she was heartbroken. She had to…

She couldn't finish the sentence like how she originally planned to.

She had done a lot for them, she should just leave it at that. And she respected her for it, for she was sure it was extremely difficult, and yet, despite the hardship that it implied, she still did what she had to do to save them. She still didn't trust her completely, but she could at least leave her be.

"Yazi" another voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and when she looked up, she found that Snow was signaling for her to walk over. The girl approached her under the pergola with curiosity "You know them already, but these are Aurora and Phillip" she introduced the two royals she had read about, while placing a gentle hand on her shoulder "They've been taking care of the enchanted forest for the past twenty eight years"

"Nice to meet you" she replied with a smile, glad she had a distraction; it would prevent her from thinking too much, which was exactly what she didn't need right now.

"Pleasure's ours" Aurora replied, bowing slightly at her "Snow told us a lot about you"

"That's never good" she said playfully, and she was really surprised at the fact she could still joke around like that. Some of them chuckled at her words.

"Are you really the golden child?" Phillip asked, giving her a curious and intrigued look.

"One and only" she replied "As far as I know, at least" supposedly, there was a new golden child every fifty years. She didn't really know anything about the one previous to her, since the golden child's identity had always been a well-kept secret, known only to a few people due to how dangerous it'd be if anyone with ill intentions got their hands on them.

"She's done a lot for us" Snow commented "Even if some of us didn't see it" she added, giving her a glance only the two of them could give meaning to. She was definitely talking about the incredible underestimation Yazi went though while in Neverland, but the girl was long past that, and was content with everyone merely admitting that she knew what she was doing "How have things been here?" the woman asked, turning to look back at her old friends "The ogres?" Yazi had forgotten that the ogre war was a thing in the enchanted forest, for twenty eight years she had been too preoccupied with problems in the real world to think about a conflict going on in a faraway land. Not to mention, she didn't even remember the land in question for the better part of those years.

"Defeated" Aurora replied "We're restoring our kingdom, and our lives"

"And congratulations" Snow stated, giving her friend's swollen belly a brief glance. Yazi had not realized she was pregnant until that moment.

"Is it that obvious?"

"You're glowing" the black haired woman replied. Maternity things, Yazi guessed; she was obviously not able to distinguish any signs.

"Even though she's pregnant, I'm the one who's sick" Yazi heard Regina say behind them, but nobody paid any mind to her.

"We have much to celebrate" Philip announced "You and your friends are welcomed into our kingdom. If you need anything, we are at your service"

"Thank you" Charming stated "But all we need is horses. We have our kingdom, and our castle"

"The castle was destroyed in the curse" Snow reminded, and Yazi couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed. She had never been able to experience life in a castle before, she would certainly not mind. She had talked a lot about it with…

"Well played, your majesty, you lay waste to everything" Hook spoke up sarcastically, interrupting her thoughts once again, thankfully. Regina just gave him an annoyed look.

"Not everything" Aurora spoke up, looking at the woman "Her castle still stands"

"Of course it does" the queen stated, seemingly proud of herself "I protected it"

"Technically, the castle doesn't belong to her, it was Snow's before she took it" David said in a rush, never leaving her gaze from Aurora.

"Well, to be fair" the woman approached them "I married into it" she added. And she was not wrong.

"That you did" Snow spoke up, looking at her. Her expression lit up, as if she had just realized a very important factor "And now we're taking it back" she added firmly, determination could be read in her entire demeanor "And _you_ are coming with us"

"You can't be serious" the other woman said with a dry chuckle, clearly not on board with that idea.

"Regina, everyone out there is scared and confused" Snow kept going, very convinced of her plan "They need hope. What better way to do that than to return united?" Yazi had to admit that her foster mother (did that even apply in the forest?) had a point. Whoever was left after the curse broke out had to be desperate and anxious, not really knowing what was going on. They needed to ease the tension, not increase it, and if they tried to establish some peace, they would at least be one step closer to restoring the kingdom to its former glory "I know you don't like it, but you'll learn to. For our good, for yours" Regina didn't seem to be able to find something to respond to that, so Yazi assumed that she was in.

"Thank you again for your hospitality" Charming spoke up, turning to look at the other two, and sticking his hand out for them to shake "We should begin preparations"

"Good luck to all of you" Philip said solemnly, giving the man's hand a firm stretch.

And then, all of them were gone.

* * *

Yazi followed the line of peculiar people walking across the forest, doing her very best to find entertainment in the birds flying, the squirrels she could see from time to time, or the several trees they passed by, even though all of them looked pretty much the same. At one point, she even began to listen in to the dwarfs' conversation and tried to distinguish who was who. She was willing to do anything to shut her brain up.

"You'll finally see the castle" she heard Snow's voice speaking from ahead of her; one hand was holding the horse's reins, and the other went around the girl's shoulder to bring her in for a hug "How do you feel about that?"

"I'm curious" she commented "The only castle I've ever seen is Rumpelstiltskin's, and only for like ten seconds. Then, it was the streets or the forest for me"

"I can guarantee our castle will be much cozier than a dark and dirty alley" Charming spoke up, giving her a smile.

"You'll especially like the library" the woman added, and Yazi only just now realized she would be able to finally see what a royal library looked like in real life; that prospect definitely excited her, she couldn't wait to tell….

"I can't wait" she replied, cutting off her own thoughts. Could they just stay quiet for five minutes? They were like a tetris block; as soon as they found a blank spot, they immediately tried to occupy it.

"Regina's castle is just beyond the mountains"

"Snow, I think you mean _our_ castle" Charming corrected, and Yazi had to agree with that. It was hers from the beginning.

"It's gonna take some getting used to" she replied with a nervous chuckle "The last time I was there was just after my father's death" the blonde girl gave her a sympathetic smile "And I always dreamed of returning" Yazi would definitely feel the same way. After being away from home for so long, all one would want was to return to its safe harbour. For a very long time, Yazi didn't have that; she didn't have any place to return to, not until she began living in Storybrooke.

Granted, it was because of a curse, but still. Living with Snow in that loft, going to Granny's to have breakfast, and spending all her weekends at the library was her routine, her daily life. She had gotten used to it, and it was a very pleasant feeling to have something to look forward to everyday. It was really painful to think about the fact that she would never be able to experience that again.

"I just never imagined it would be with Regina by our side"

"I wouldn't count on that, sister" Grumpy announced his presence, as he began to walk besides them.

"What do you mean?" Yazi questioned with a frown.

"The queen, she's missing"

* * *

It took them a while, but Snow and Yazi finally found Regina. She had stopped right before the first turn they took, and she seemed to be hitting the ground repeatedly with a stick.

"What are you doing?" the young girl questioned, giving her an askance glance.

"So now you're following me" Regina replied unamused, not turning to look at them.

"We were worried" Snow stated "And it looks like we were right to be"

"Are you burying something?"

"Nothing that concerns you"

"That only makes us more concerned" Yazi stated logically "C'mon, Regina" she kept pressing, but the woman didn't answer, and if she wasn't going to say it, then she would have to find out by force. So, with that in mind, she took a step forward until she was standing right above the evil queen. She looked down to the spot in the ground she seemed to be so focused on, and in the hole she had been digging up, she saw an object glowing bright red "Please don't tell me that's what I think it is" it looked like a heart, and Yazi's stomach almost turned when she realized.

"It's your heart, isn't it?" Snow concluded, and Yazi looked at Regina quizzically. Was that actually hers?

"I'm not having this talk with you, or a kid" it _was_.

Also, rude.

"A very mature kid" Snow stood up for her foster daughter, which Yazi greatly appreciated. Regina ignored her, and the other woman stood silent for a few minutes, before beginning to speak again "I know you miss Henry" Yazi unconsciously took a sharp intake of breath.

She had been trying so hard not to say, or even think about his name all day, that hearing it now was almost sinful, it made her feel like she was committing a terrible crime. Specially because of the things that the name would unlock in her mind.

"Not as much as I did when that thing was beating in my chest" Regina stated, finally standing up. Yazi wished she could take her own heart out, too, then she would probably be able to think for five seconds without crying. But even if she did, memories of the time she and Henry spent together would not be erased from her mind just like that.

Maybe they should've let the curse hit, that would've fixed all of her troubles.

"But still, Regina, this isn't the answer. No matter how much pain you may feel, you can't just bury it in the woods" and yet, Yazi knew that Snow was right. Getting rid of all emotion was not good, it wouldn't really fix anything. In fact, it would probably make it worse. But that didn't make it any less appealing, specially to face the situation they were in at the moment.

"Watch me"

"You won't feel better" Snow kept insisting "You won't feel anything"

"That's the point!" Regina cried "I can't keep walking around, knowing I'll never see Henry" Yazi's heart clenched, up to the point it almost hurt. Her eyes were itchy, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything, for it would only give way to the thousands of tears lining up in her eyes. The most sudden move would push them down "That he doesn't even remember who I am"

But then, something snapped inside of her. It brought forward the words someone had told her not so long ago, words that echoed in her mind for a really long time.

'_Bottling up so much is not good'_

And for the first time that day, she decided to actually listen to that voice in her head.

"How do you think I feel?" she finally spoke up, and as soon as she opened her lips, the tears began to fall. But this time, she didn't try to stop them, not even when two very worried faces turned to look at her "I miss Henry, too. Do you think I'm okay with coming back here and pretending that everything's fine? I'm not. I hate it" she sniffed, and her voice cracked "I hate the fact that I'm the only one that remembers what sitting down to watch a movie with my best friend feels like, I hate that I'll wake up every day and will not be able to fight with him over what type of cereal is best, I hate that he will never remember what he means to me. The only thing I have left of him is this necklace" she took it out from underneath her layers of clothes, the ones she had been using all day to pretend that it wasn't there "And I hate looking at it, because it reminds me that this sucks. But it's all we have, all we'll ever have, so we have no choice but to deal with it. We won't be able to escape it, no matter how many holes we try to dig"

"It won't always be like this" Snow assured, pulling Yazi close to her chest, ignoring the fact that her tears were staining her outfit "I know how both of you feel" she added, looking back at Regina "I just said goodbye to my daughter, for the second time" she added sternly "Henry too" she looked at Yazi when she said this, before taking a deep breath, as if trying to convince herself "But I promise you, it will get better. With that" she gestured to the heart buried in the ground "Right now, it might be causing you pain, but I promise you it will let you feel something else soon enough"

"And what's that?" Regina asked, not too excited.

"Something Henry always wanted you to find" Yazi chimed in with a hoarse voice, making Regina give her a curious look. It was probably the first time she ever gave her so much attention "Happiness. Despite everything you've done, he never stopped believing you would be able to get it" they had talked countless times about that, and despite how Yazi felt towards the woman, she was always considerate of her best friend's feelings, and promised she'd support him through thick and thin. If he wanted his mother to find happiness, she'd help him as much as she could.

"I can't be happy without him"

"Find a way" Snow said with a sympathetic smile, placing a gentle hand of her arm, while her other held Yazi close to her "For Henry" Regina remained motionless for a few seconds, before sighing heavily. She bent down and reached for her heart; she hesitated for a few seconds, but finally placed it back inside her chest.

"Now" she turned to look at the two of them, as if nothing had ever happened "Let's get back to our castle" she began to walk away, and Yazi took notice of the fact that she said 'our', and not 'mine'.

"You okay?" Snow turned to look at Yazi before they could follow Regina. The girl nodded slightly, some tears still falling from her eyes; she was tired of fighting them back.

"I just miss him" she replied, and the woman gave her a sympathetic glance "I've been trying to ignore it all day, but...He always comes back"

"And it'll probably be like that for a long time" Snow said softly, and while that wasn't very comforting, Yazi appreciated her honesty. She wasn't trying to sugar coat anything, which actually made her feel a bit better; the sooner her brain understood the truth, the sooner she'd be able to get back to her regular life, only now, it would be in the enchanted forest "Especially considering how close the two of you were" Yazi was still amazed by that; she had met him only a few years ago, but she felt as if she had known him for way longer than that "But you'll learn to cherish those memories, instead of repressing them, which, in the long haul, will be a lot better for you" Yazi nodded in understanding, and Snow smiled at her "C'mon" she gently wiped what was left of her tears off "The others are waiting for us"

* * *

After being rescued by Robin Hood and his Merry Men, nonetheless, of the attack of some sort of flying creature, everyone resumed their way to the castle, now joined by a couple more peopl. Yazi had calmed down now, but she was, surprisingly enough, kind of worried about Regina, something she never thought would happen. She was walking ahead besides Snow, having a conversation that she didn't want to interrupt, even though she had something she wanted to ask the queen. And now that it seemed that things were getting a bit better, she figured it was as good a times as any.

So she kept her gaze focused on them, while at the same time trying not to trip with the several logs and branches on their path.

When it seemed they were done, she hurried her steps to catch up to her. The woman noticed her, and gave her an interested look, though she didn't say anything.

"Regina, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead" she replied meekly. Yazi couldn't really tell whether the queen was annoyed at her presence, or if it was just her usual tone of voice, but that wasn't going to stop her from talking to her.

"Why did you come after me all those years ago?" she obviously wanted something from her, something that ended with her parents being killed, but up until today she never actually figured out what that was.

There was silence for a few moments, only interrupted by the occasional chirping of a bird and the leaves crunching underneath their feet. Some voices could be heard around them, each of them immersed in their own conversation, but all of the girl's focus was placed on the (former?) evil queen.

"In order to cast the curse, I needed some special ingredients" she began explaining, and the blonde nodded in understanding "One of them was the tear of a Golden Child" she wasn't really surprised to hear that. She knew her tears were special, Rumplestiltskin had made that very clear when she went to him to find a way to leave. She couldn't help thinking that anyone that could be after her tears would've probably yelled for joy merely some minutes ago, when she was spilling them so carelessly.

It had been a long time since she thought such a menacing thought, but being in the enchanted forest brought back up the constant guard she had kept up when she left her village, the one that made her more sensitive to her surroundings and, therefore, to anyone that might want to hurt her. She didn't need to worry about that in Storybrooke, because she knew everyone there and, for a long time, there was no magic, so even if someone had found her, it would've been useless.

She didn't know how much the forest had changed, and if there even were new people there, but she could not sit back and relax like she used to do in the land without magic, and she was incredibly thankful that the curse had allowed her to keep Neal's sword; she would be able to protect herself if something happened. And the only reason she could find to like the outfit she was wearing, was because it concealed the weapon underneath the cloak.

"But I escaped before you got to me" she stated, going back to the conversation at hand "How were you able to cast it?"

"Rumpelstiltskin was keeping some of them in a vial, so I made a deal with him"

"No wonder" Yazi commented absentmindedly. Those were probably the tears he had collected that time in the swamp.

There were a few minutes of silence, as they walked side to side. Yazi really didn't have anything else to ask from her, but it seemed she did, because soon enough she spoke up.

"I'm…." Regina began, making the girl look at her curiously. She seemed nervous, which was a very unusual occurrence "...Sorry" she said it almost in a whisper, but Yazi made it out anyway, and her eyes snapped open, in a state of utter shock. Had she heard right? Was Regina actually apologizing? "About...Your parents" she added a bit awkwardly.

_She was_.

It took a whole lot of time for Yazi's brain to process those words; never in a million years would she have thought that Regina, of all people, would atone to the wrongdoings she had caused her family all those years ago. She truly didn't know how to react.

She spent a few seconds in silence, rummaging her mind in search of something to say, while simultaneously trying to figure out how she felt about the apology.

And finally, she did.

"I can't...Forgive you for it" she explained. She was still remorseful about it, same with Rumplestiltskin and how he used her insecurity against her. And she didn't know if she would ever be able to truly do it; nobody deserved something like that happening to them, but specially not a child.

Regina's demeanor clearly fell upon hearing those words, but Yazi was not done yet.

"But" she added, and the queen looked at her with interest and curiosity "I can try to forget about it" she was willing to make some sort of truce, specially because she knew what she felt towards letting go of Henry and the situation they were in, even if Yazi's sadness could never even begin to be compared to a mother's pain "It's going to be hard" she admitted "But...What you did for Henry and Emma proves that there is some good in you" not so long ago, she was trying to do everything in her power to get rid of Emma and keep Henry to herself, but now, she had willingly given her son, the thing she loved the most, to the woman she once despised so much; that meant something "And I hope you can get to it"

Silence.

"I should also thank you" Regina added, and the girl was even more confused than before. Receiving a 'sorry' was shocking enough, but receiving a 'thank you' in the same day? And both coming from Regina? That happened once every blue moon.

And more importantly, what exactly was she thankful for? She hadn't really done anything to receive that, much less to her.

Regina's gaze went over to the trees surrounding them, and she remained quiet for a few seconds before speaking up again.

"For a very long time" she began, taking a deep breath "Henry didn't know happiness, or hope. I tried to fool myself into believing that he did, but he didn't" Yazi remained quiet, because she could tell the woman wasn't done yet "And then, you came along" she gave her a brief glance, before looking back ahead "When you two began spending time together, it was the first time I actually saw him smile in years" Yazi grinned slightly "You gave him something he didn't have, you gave him friendship and light"

'Light'. That word resonated in her mind for quite a while. She never actually considered herself the light in Henry's life, it was mostly the other way around. Thanks to him, she could remember who she was, her identity, and she could get it back.

"So thank you, for being there for him when I didn't know how" Regina finished, and Yazi's heart felt full. It was the first time the woman said something like that to her, and she was sincerely grateful.

"You don't have to thank me, Regina" she stated, shaking her head with a warm smile "I will always care for Henry" the woman returned her smile, and after a few more minutes, they finally arrived to the castle.

"What happened?" Snow asked, taking some steps forward as she looked at the immense building in the distance.

Yazi gave it a good look. She couldn't really distinguish much since it was so far away, except for its emerald walls, and the spike-shaped turrets. It looked rather...Modern, nothing like the pictures she remembered seeing in the book. She needed to get her eyes checked.

"That's exactly what I'm going to find out" Regina stated, walking forward. She didn't look amused.

"What's wrong?" the girl asked, approaching Snow "Isn't that it?"

"Yes, but it looks different" so Yazi didn't have sight problems after all.

Everyone watched quietly as Regina raised her hand up, and poked the air.

Except, it was not air, because as soon as her finger got into contact, a green pulse of magic was seen, which revealed the fact that there was a magical barrier covering the entire terrain.

"A protection spell" the woman announced "The entire castle is encircled by it" Yazi knew that could only mean one thing; there was someone there.

"Didn't you do this?" Charming questioned "Undo it"

"We'd already be there if this was her doing" the Golden Child commented logically.

"Yeah, I would be halfway home" Regina agreed, approaching them "Someone hijacked it"

"Who? Who's in there?" Snow asked quietly.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out"

"Let me see" Yazi spoke up, approaching the path, and making sure to stand in the exact same spot Regina had been in merely some seconds ago. She raised her palm, and pushed forward. She was met with no restraint as her arm made it safely to the other side "I can get through" she turned to look at the others. Whoever was in there either didn't know about the existence of the Golden Child, or didn't take all the necessary precautions. And, considering she had been gone for twenty eight years, something like that wouldn't surprise her "I can cross over and take a look"

"We have a lot of people scared, and rightfully so" Charming argued, approaching the both of them "We need to get them to safety before planning our next move" Yazi nodded in understanding.

"They'll be safe when whoever's in there is dead"

"Rushing in there is a bad plan, Regina, and you know that" Snow argued, and the fact that the queen didn't say anything, proved she was right.

"I can offer safe harbour in Sherwood forest" Robin Hood chimed in "It's not far. We have food, shelter, and no creature will spy on us"

"Sounds good" Charming nodded in agreement.

"I can try getting in tonight" Yazi suggested. Under the cover of darkness, it would be difficult for anyone to spot her, which would not happen if she broke in in plain daylight.

"With all due respect, my lady, you look rather young to go in there by yourself" Robin Hood intervened, and it didn't anger her. It was only natural for someone that didn't know her to underestimate her, she'd do the same thing.

"She is" Snow replied with a nod "But she's also braver than all of us" she added, looking at the girl with what seemed like pride "And capable of a lot more than you can imagine"

"I was once called Robin Hood, you know?" Yazi stated, talking about the comment Emma slipped in when they went to look for Neal several months ago. The man in question gave her a surprised look "You have a lot to learn"

* * *

Yazi didn't know what was worse, standing by the town line saying goodbye to Henry and Emma, or being cursed and having her memories erased _yet again. _

It was merely two weeks ago that Yazi had woken up on her bed at the Blanchard Loft, feeling that the painful goodbye she had to give was merely a dream. And, in fact, she even looked for Henry for a while, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, even in the hallway, but the illusion of finding him was quickly crushed by two things: first, she realized she felt suspiciously okay, and even a bit lighthearted, despite not being able to see her best friend ever again. And if there was something she knew about herself, was that she always took a long time to get over things. And Henry being gone was not an exception to that, it would definitely take her more than a month to get used to not having him around anymore.

And second, Mary Margaret was eight months pregnant. And that spoke for itself.

But what proved to be even more confounding, was the fact that she had no recollection of what happened after Emma and Henry left. She didn't know what transpired in that missing year. And neither did anyone else. Not even Regina, which meant that either A-She was just extremely good at pretending or B-, and the likeliest option, this was the work of someone else, someone nobody could identify.

And that could add one more piece of evidence to the theory that she had missing memories; the fact that she no longer felt like yelling at Regina every time she saw her, and she didn't underestimate her anymore; Yazi did not recall having sat down to talk to the woman about their obvious differences, but they were at peace now, which meant that somewhere along the way they had fixed their relationship.

The one good thing she could rescue from the situation, besides the pregnancy, was that she still remembered who she was. And who everyone else was. That was good, but other than that? Nothing. She wasn't even sure if they had been gone at all.

She shook her head, and decided not to think about it anymore, at least for that night. Instead, she chose to focus on the book she was reading by the fireplace in the living room of the loft.

Or, at least, she would have, had she not heard four knocks on the door. She frowned, and her gaze went over to the clock on the wall, which read 10 PM. It was late, really late. Who would come by so late in the night?

Mary Margaret and David were sleeping upstairs, so it was up to her to check who it was. She left a bookmark on the page she was reading, before closing the book and leaving it on the table. She stepped inside her slippers, and walked towards the front door, rubbing her arms to keep the cold that being away from the fire brought along with it out of her body.

She turned the lock on the door, and opened it carefully, to reveal someone she never thought she'd see again.

"Emma?" she questioned, not believing her eyes, and completely forgetting about the fact that the woman wasn't supposed to remember her or Storybrooke.

"Yazi?" the blonde called back, which doubled the shock.

"Oh my god, you remember!" the girl exclaimed, walking in for a hug that was happily returned.

And now, she could include a fourth piece of evidence in the case that proved a long time had passed. Yazi's head reached just above the woman's chest, but when she said goodbye to her, she only reached her stomach. She was the same height as Mary Margaret, too. And that sort of change didn't occur overnight.

"_You_ remember!" Emma replied, equally surprised as they broke apart.

"Come in!" Yazi stepped aside, and closed the door behind her "What's going on? How are you here?" she could barely form coherent words, the joy that seeing Emma again brought was stronger than her.

"Hook found me" she began to explain "He said you were cursed"

"We don't know how or why, but yeah" Yazi nodded in agreement "The last thing all of us remember is saying goodbye to you and Henry on the town line…" a realization hit, one that made her heart beat faster as soon as she grasped it. She was suddenly very aware of the weight of the star necklace on her neck "Wait, if you are here, does that mean Henry…"

"He's here, he's sleeping in the car" Emma replied, and tears welled the girl's blue eyes.

Her best friend was back, after an entire year of not seeing him, he was back!

"But..." she added, and the remorseful look Emma was giving her worried her "He...Doesn't remember any of this"

Her heart sank.

Of course, nothing could ever be perfect, could it?

* * *

**Heey, I hope you had a good week guys! I'm here with the beginning of season 3B, which, as I've said before, will not be as long as 3A, but there will be several important events occurring, so be on the lookout for that!**

**Not much happened in this chapter, but it was necessary to show you the effects that the curse had on Yazi. I promise the next one will be a lot more interesting, we get a very awaited reunion. I hope you look forward to it!**

**See you soon!**


	30. Confrontation

**A fair warning: there's a bit of a graphic description of blood and an injury in this chapter, so if you're sensitive to that, I suggest you skip the part. It'll become fairly obvious where it is when you begin reading.**

* * *

Yazi walked home after school, mentally repeating the grammar rules she'd need to know for next week's test. It had been such a long time since she had actually been to school, thanks to a variety of things, including rescuing her best friend in Neverland and the entire town of Storybrooke disappearing for a whole year, that it was becoming kind of hard to keep up with the classes. She was thankful she had Mary Margaret to explain things to her back at her house, otherwise she'd probably be thrice as lost now.

She greeted Belle who was probably returning to the library after a quick break, and took a brief look at the clock in the tower above it. 3:30 PM, she still had some time left.

She got into the loft, which was empty. David and Mary Margaret were probably at Granny's; she hadn't seen Emma since the previous night, and Henry...Well, she wasn't sure she was ready for that yet. Emma had offered to introduce them in the morning before she left for school, but Yazi refused. She would need a lot of mental preparation for that, and a previous warning as well. She feared that if she saw him out of the blue she would freeze and make a fool of herself, or worse, run away. She would never be able to face him after that.

She went upstairs and changed from her school uniform, to her typical sweater and pair of jeans; they were halfway into autumn, it was definitely not the season to wear dresses anymore.

Then, she poured herself a glass of juice and continued reading the book she had abandoned last night when Emma arrived, until it was time for her to leave again.

Twenty minutes later, she grabbed her jacket, scarf and was out the door, on her way to Granny's, her workplace.

Or, rather, her second hobby, because she wasn't being paid and, technically, she wasn't old enough to work yet. She might be old mentally, but she still looked like a fourteen year old girl and that would not look great in the records.

After returning from the Enchanted Forest, a thing that Hook had confirmed they had done the previous night, Storybrooke was a mess. There were a lot more people than before, people she obviously didn't remember, that were pouring onto the restaurant for shelter and food. The number of customers had increased greatly, and Ruby and Granny were stressed out; Yazi offered to help out after school for a couple hours everyday, not only to assist the two women and the desperate people they harbored, but also to keep her mind off a certain truest believer. It might not have hurt as much not seeing him everyday, but many things still reminded her of him; if she wanted to avoid those treacherous memories, she needed to keep herself busy. Hence, helping out at Granny's, and focusing on school more than she had ever done before.

And, for the most part, it was working.

Besides, she also got to see people she didn't encounter in her daily life unless there was a life threatening conflict, people like Archie or the dwarves, and they always had something to tell. She went home with a new story everyday.

She arrived to the outside of the restaurant; due to the imminent cold, there was nobody sitting on the outside, but she was sure the inside was packed.

And she was proven right as soon as she got in; there were almost no free tables. She spotted Leroy and two other dwarves sitting by the bar, Archie and Marcus on a table in the middle of the restaurant, Dr. Whale, Ashley and her husband, Prince Thomas, in a booth in one of the corners, and a lot other people she didn't recognize around them. It was going to be a busy day.

On the other side of the restaurant, away from the bar and almost hidden from view, she found Mary Margaret and Emma on one side of a booth, and David and…

She turned around and stepped into the cold again, her heart beating wildly. Some passersby gave her confused looks, but she ignored them.

It was Henry next to David, the boy she had refused to see that morning because she wasn't ready, the person she would need a heads up to see, was sitting inside Granny's in that precise moment, unbeknownst to the shock she was going through due to seeing him so soon. A million thoughts rushed through her mind; what should she do? Should she approach him? But what would she even say? And wouldn't it be weird if a unknown girl suddenly walked up to him and introduced herself?

Someone walked by her, grazing her shoulder gently.

"Oh, sorry" the stranger apologized, before getting into the restaurant, as the bell announced their presence.

Yazi took a deep breath, remembering where she was and what she had to do. She was spiralling, she needed to calm down. Nobody said she had to face him now, she could just walk into the restaurant and attend to other tables; but she couldn't discard the possibility that Emma could beckon her over to their table, or even Mary Margaret, something she didn't have a hard time imagining.

She shook her head again. Small steps; first, she had to actually get into the restaurant. She was two minutes away from starting her shift, and 4 PM was the time in which more people needed a snack; Ruby and Granny would need all the help they could get, and when she saw a big group of people walking from the corner of the street to the restaurant, she gathered her thoughts, put them in a box, sealed it, and stepped inside again.

She couldn't bring herself to look at the controversial table, she just walked to the kitchen, where Granny was preparing some pancakes, and Ruby was returning with an empty tray.

"Hey, Yazi!" the woman greeted warmly.

"Good thing you're here, this place is packed" she heard Granny's voice over the steam from the machines.

"And it's only going to get busier" Yazi replied "I'll leave my things in the back, and get to work right away" both of them nodded in agreement, and then Ruby went to grab the single tray on the counter, an order of coffee and toast.

The blonde walked into the quiet back room that read 'Staff Only' on the sign, and left her backpack in the chair by the door. She took out her coat and scarf, and hanged them from the hook, before grabbing the white apron with red margins and tying it behind her waist. Then, she gathered her messy curls into a ponytail, and held them together with a purple bandana, so she wouldn't risk some of them falling into food or even drinks.

She took a quick glance at herself in the mirror, and nodded, satisfied with her appearance, before stepping back into the hustle and bustle of the restaurant. The mob of people she had seen merely a few seconds ago was now occupying the remaining free tables.

"Okay, so what do we have here?" she questioned. There were three more trays replacing the single on she had seen when she got in.

"Tables five and six" Ruby pointed to the respective orders "And Leroy at the bar wants another coffee"

"Got it" Yazi nodded, and walked over to grab order five, a cup of cocoa, a latte and two pancakes.

"Oh, wait" Ruby called "That is…" she left the phrase hanging in the air for a few seconds, causing Yazi to give her a curious look "That's the order for Henry's table" a chill went up the girl's spine, as she gave said table a long look. Emma, Mary Margaret and David were talking amiably, while Henry listened quietly, smiling from time to time at something funny that showed up in the conversation. It was the first time she actually stared at him.

He looked older, which was natural considering an entire year had passed, and maybe even a bit more mature, though that was just a feeling, she didn't actually know. His hair had grown longer, too, and his head was about the same height as David's shoulder, a sign that he had definitely grown taller.

She wondered what he did in New York, what school did he go to? Had he made any new friends? She wished he had, he was always a very lonely person, from the first moment she met him she could tell; it was probably product of growing up away from his biological mother, and in the household of a woman that had been a tyrant for the better part of her life, keeping a very close eye on him, not letting him do many of the things he wanted to do. She hoped that his erased memories, specially the bad ones, had pushed him out of his shell.

"I can take it to him" Ruby's voice made her realize that she had been staring at him for a while, but, thankfully, he hadn't noticed. That would've been awkward.

"No, it's fine" Yazi decided, turning to look at the woman "I'll have to face him eventually" especially if he was going to stay there for a while, at least until Emma helped them out "Better sooner than later"

"Are you sure?" the woman asked, concern clear in her eyes. Yazi had told her about wanting to keep her mind off Henry as a factor she took into account when deciding she wanted to help at Granny's, and nor Ruby or her grandmother needed more convincing to give her the position; it was only natural she was worried about her now.

"Yeah" Yazi assured, placing her hand underneath the tray and lifting it up swiftly "It'll be okay"

"Alright" Ruby nodded, giving her a sympathetic glance; Yazi smiled at her, before turning around to face his table once more. She took another deep breath, before putting on her best smile and approaching them.

"Hey!" she greeted cheerfully, making all four of them turn to look at her "Here's your order" she placed the latte and pancakes on the middle of the table, not sure of who had ordered them, but the hot cocoa was placed in front of Henry without a second look.

"Thanks" Henry said, giving her a smile.

"No problem!"

"Henry, this is Yazi" Emma introduced, as she brought the latte close to her "She's Mary Margaret and David's foster daughter" she added, giving her parents a look, who smiled at the girl. Yazi could detect the worry in Mary Margaret's eyes, it was a look that clearly read 'you okay?'. The girl acknowledged her concern with a brief, assuring smile, before turning to look back at Henry.

"Nice to meet you" she replied warmly, doing her utmost to ignore the urge of hugging him.

"So, you're working here now?" Emma asked, giving her a curious look as she took a sip from her cup.

"Technically, it's called 'lending a hand'" she replied, holding the tray behind her back "Since I'm not old enough to work"

"How old are you?" Henry questioned with interest; it didn't seem like he had looked at his cup, because, if he had, he would have realized there was something missing: cinnamon. Yazi had noticed it when she first looked at it, but for obvious reasons, she hadn't added it. He had to ask if he wanted something else besides the base drink, that was the norm; Yazi had learned that the very first week she began helping around. And if she just sprinkled cinnamon in it without a request, it would look suspicious, specially because she wasn't supposed to know Henry or his preferences.

"Fourteen" she replied with a nod "You kinda look the same age as me. Am I right?"

"Yeah, I'll turn fifteen in a couple months" he explained, and his gaze then went over to her neck. He tilted his head to the side, giving it good look "Hey, that's a really pretty necklace" he complimented, and Yazi's hand immediately landed on it; she hadn't realized it had been in plain sight until then.

"Thanks" she replied, looking down at it, as memories flowed through her mind.

"Where did you get it?"

"It was a birthday present" she stated "My best friend gave it to me" Henry nodded with a smile, and Yazi's gaze then went over to the other three people, who had been listening to their conversation all this time; she had almost forgotten they were there, too "Well, I gotta get back to work" she added, ignoring the sly smile Mary Margaret was casting her way "I'll see you around"

"It was nice meeting you" Henry said, still smiling at her.

"Yeah, you too" the girl stated, before turning around to walk back to the kitchen, where more orders were waiting for her.

"Oh, wait!" the boy called, making her give him a curious glance "Can you bring me some cinnamon?" she couldn't stop the small smile from spreading on her face upon hearing that.

"Sure!" she said joyfully, and did as told. Henry thanked her once again, but she was already by the counter to be able to give him a proper answer. More customers needed serving.

But despite the obvious busy three hours that awaited her, she wasn't stressed out about it; in fact, she felt a lot more lighthearted than she did that morning, when she couldn't even begin to think about facing Henry and pretend that everything was fine.

He was still as friendly and kind as she remembered him being; she was glad that didn't seem to have changed.

After having her anxious thoughts consume her head from the moment she woke up, she felt happy knowing she had faced what terrified her, and actually won. A weight had definitely been lifted off her shoulders, she just hoped another one didn't replace it.

* * *

The night was quiet, the half moon was shining on the sky, surrounded by twinkling stars and dark masses of clouds. The only light illuminating the path to the castle came from Snow's torch, as she walked besides Yazi, the hood on both of their cloaks up, accompanying her to the magical barrier. Some leaves crunched underneath their feet.

"You sure you're up for this?" the woman questioned, giving her a glance "We can always find another way"

"It's fine" the blonde replied in assurance "I'm the only that can get through at the moment, and the sooner we figure out who's inside, the sooner we can take back the castle" Snow nodded, understanding her words, as they finally arrived to the place. The castle was sitting ominously atop the hill, far away from Sherwood forest, where Robin Hood had offered to shelter them for the time being.

"Be careful, alright? We don't know what's in there" Snow said, handing Yazi the torch, since she would need it more "I'll be waiting right here until you return"

"Alright" the girl stated, giving the princess an assuring smile; everything would be fine, but, if push turned to shove, she knew how to take care of herself very well, so Snow had nothing to worry about "I'll be back" she added firmly, before stepping inside the barrier. She casted the woman one last glance, and then, she began walking.

After several minutes of eerie silence, she finally finished her path through the garden and arrived to the palace door, to find it completely unguarded; whoever was in the castle had way too much faith in their magical barrier, but that didn't mean she would lower down her guard, who knows what awaited her inside.

She could see some light coming from several torches inside, so she decided to drop hers outside and simply find her way with those, so she wouldn't call the attention.

When she got in, her mouth popped open: she had lived in a little house in a village half her life, and the other in a rather spacious loft, she had never seen anything as big as a castle. The ceiling was very high up, almost as high as the moon that night. The size of the hallway she was in was incomprehensible, with, at least, fifty doors scattered across its walls, and even more hallways beyond them.

Rumpelstiltskin's castle had been pretty straightforward: walk through the red carpet to the very obvious door at the end, get in, find a great living room, and go through the door behind the diner table to the rest of the place, but this castle was practically a maze. When they got it back, Yazi was sure it'd take her a whole lot of months to learn her way around it. She got dizzy just thinking about it.

Considering the rather limited time she had, nighttime wasn't eternal, and despite how much she wanted to explore, she would only be able to go to one room: the bedroom. She'd be able to see all the castle's intricacies later down the road.

Why, out of all spaces, she'd go to a bedroom you might ask? Because a bedroom could say a lot about the person sleeping in it. Regina had actually given her directions to find it, which at first she found kind of useless, since how big could a castle be, right? But now, she was extremely grateful about it.

She had to go through the fifth door on her right, then turn left into the hallway of mirrors, keep going until she reached a black wooden door, go through it, and turn left; it'd be there.

So, she began her journey. The hall had golden colored walls, and several mirrors hanging from them, of all sizes and shapes; she even saw one shaped like a sun. But they weren't just invading the walls, there were a couple full body mirrors and vitrines with smaller ones. She was extremely anxious she'd bump into one, or her sword would hit them by accident and reveal her position; the fact that her face was staring at her wherever she looked freaked her out more times than she'd care to admit. Who'd need that many mirrors anyway?

After around ten minutes (yes, she was walking for that long) she spotted the holy black door in the distance.

"Finally" she couldn't help muttering, and hurried her steps, but she saw something moving in one of the mirrors, and stopped in her tracks. The mirror in question was pointing right, to what looked to be a red door. She got closer to it, trying to see if something else would show up, but out of the corner of her eye she noticed movement in a mirror on her left, next to the counterpart of the other one.

And then, steps. She looked around in a frenzy for a place to hide, and found it behind a column, thick enough to hide her body. She sat down against it, and waited expectantly until the footsteps grew nearer. When they did, she peeked out from behind the column to find that someone had stopped right in front of the door she was supposed to go through. They were furry, and when her gaze went over to their torso, she gaped, both, in horror and amazement, as she went back into hiding.

The 'someone' wasn't some_one_, but rather, some_thing_.

It was a silver monkey, with red eyes and rows of pointy teeth upon teeth that shaped into a spine-chilling grin. But the most bewildering thing, was the fact that instead of a bare back, it had wings attached to it. Thin, feathered, angel like wings.

And there was only one person in the several worlds of the universe that had such creatures, she had read about her in a book several years ago: The Wicked Witch of the West, from the nation of Oz. She had to be the one occupying the castle.

But why? That was what she needed to find out.

Her thoughts were interrupted by squeaking and hisses, that could not come from anything else but the monkey. She peeked out once more, to find that the creature had opened the door and had stepped through, before shutting it with a loud slam. Yazi scanned the perimeter in case something else showed up, but it was all clear, so she approached it as well.

It was way taller than her, like, three heads taller (though, granted, she was still growing), and it had silver details in its corners. She took a deep breath: this was it, she would find the answers she had come to look for beyond that wood.

She unsheathed her sword, and turned the handle; it creaked slightly when she moved it, and she dearly hoped there was no one around to hear it, but she didn't see anyone when she stepped through, much to her relief. She closed the door behind her as quietly as she could, and looked around.

Another hallway of the countless in that palace extended to her right, but there was no light in it to distinguish what lied beyond it. There was a black archway to her right, and one of the sides was hiding her small frame from sight. A balcony extended in front of her, she could not see much since it was dark out, but she could distinguish the shine of a flame hidden amongst the trees in Sherwood, where Robin Hood and the others were waiting for her and Snow to come back.

She heard a female voice humming softly, and stood alert. She tilted her head to the side, and found a figure standing by a wardrobe, dressed in emerald green. And everything in the bedroom was of the same color, from the bed to the walls. Did she need any more proof that this was the Wicked Witch?

She was too busy trying to figure out how she could drive her out of the room to search around, that she had no idea what was happening behind her. Not until she heard a hiss.

She bounced startled, and turned around, to find one of the monkeys suspended in the air, staring at her. She opened her eyes wide, and attempted to bring it down with her sword, but it flew away, dodging her swing, before coming back, in the noisiest way possible. Its squeaks could be heard from miles away.

"Shut up!" Yazi whispered in panic, though she was pretty sure it was useless.

"What's going on there?" she heard a voice, probably the figure standing by the wardrobe, and she froze in place. The monkey fixed its gaze on her, making a noise from time to time, and Yazi was beginning to think that for some crazy reason this creature was actually listening to her, when she heard a second squeak coming from somewhere in the bedroom.

And then, she was pushed to the floor, away from her hiding place, and her sword fell to the floor. She attempted to crawl over to grab it, but a sharp pain stung her shoulder, and her hand unconsciously went over to it, finding nothing but skin; she gave it a look, to see that the shoulder of her dress had been torn off by the monkey, and a claw mark had been drawn in it, but, thankfully, it wasn't deep, it wasn't even bleeding; the thickness of her clothes had helped her for once.

"Good job, my dear" she heard the woman, and looked up to find her approaching. If she needed further proof that this was who she thought it was, her green skin was a dead giveaway. She looked down at her with her icy emerald eyes "Who are you and how did you get into my castle?"

"I think you mean your stolen castle" Yazi replied curtly, as her mind tried to figure out how to escape without being attacked. But when she looked around, she saw that a couple more monkeys had approached them due to the sudden commotion, and they were far too many for her to outrun, specially considering, you know, that they could fly.

"Ooh, a feisty one" the woman replied, with a glint of amusement in her eyes "Interesting. What's your name, girl?"

"Why do you care?" she challenged.

"I'm just trying to be polite" the woman replied nonchalantly, and Yazi glared at her "You can call me Zelena"

"Yazi" she replied meekly, rolling her eyes at the theatrics of the woman. The latest tilted her head to the side with seeming interest, and her eyes then set on her uncovered shoulder, and it was then that Yazi realized that it was her left one, the one that had the star.

"Wait a minute" she spoke up, and took some steps forward, giving her arm a closer look "You're it, aren't you? The Golden Child" the blonde obviously didn't answer "What are the odds? I was planning on getting to you later, but seems luck is on my side"

"What are you talking about?" Yazi frowned. What did she want with her?

"Give me a second, darling, this will hurt only a little bit" still confused, the blonde only had time to spot the witch's fingers snapping before something moved out of the corner of her eye and impaled her shoulder, but with much more strength than before. She yelped, tears of pain running down her cheeks, but before they hit the floor, a cold object was placed against them; it was a vial, similar to the one Rumpelstiltskin had used all those years ago "Ah, yes, this will be perfect" the witch spoke up again; Yazi didn't pay any mind to her, and just focused back on her shoulder; the sight almost made her gag.

In the spot where there had once been a single scratch, five had replaced it. All of them were spitting out blood, it was falling down in gushes, staining her clothes and forming pools on the black floor of the castle.

"Ah, don't worry about that, it'll heal in a month or two" Yazi looked at her in disbelief upon hearing that; that was way too long. She watched as the witch gave the flask with her tears to a monkey, that flew off, to take it who knows where,

"What do you want?" Yazi asked the obvious question, which she knew she would not get an answer to.

"Oh, you'll see soon enough" she replied cryptically "I have big plans for you and your little friends, specially the evil queen" so this was another person that had a vendetta against Regina, how surprising.

Zelena squatted down in front of her, which made her lean back, which, in turn, made her wound throb, and her hand went over to it; big mistake, because it was now covered in blood, too "And you, my golden child" she traced the outline of her cheek with her cold finger, sending a shiver up her spine as she turned her face to the other side in disgust, trying to get her filthy hands off her "Will be my messenger"

* * *

Yazi served two customers an order of coffee and sandwiches and wished them a good day, before walking back to the counter, finally able to get a break.

She looked around the restaurant. The amount of people had decreased considerably in the past hour, and it was rather quiet now, except for a laugh here and there, and the occasional moving of chairs. The blue sky she was able to watch through a window when she first began her shift, was slowly but certain being replaced by the dark, as the sun shone its last rays of the day in the distance.

Her gaze then went over to a particular spot on the floor, a spot that had been full of broken pieces of a cup around 4:30, when Regina showed up at Granny's and saw Henry sitting in the corner, who obviously didn't recognize her. She felt kind of bad for her, to be honest; she knew what she was feeling, even if their positions in the boy's life were incredibly far from each other. She was his best friend (or, former), Regina was his mother, it was barely comparable, but Yazi could still understand it. That was definitely something new, something she had never thought would happen a year ago; further proof that something had changed, something her erased memories were preventing her from knowing.

Her eyes then rested on the table Emma and Henry had been occupying until an hour ago, and she found that nobody had cleaned its surface; she couldn't blame anyone, it had been a really busy day. The clock behind her ticked, marking 6:45; there were fifteen minutes left in her shift, which were more than enough to grab a tray and clean up.

So, she grabbed one from the pile underneath the counter and walked over. She placed two cups and the plate gently on the tray, making sure to take advantage of every corner of it. She put the used napkins, which had been crumbled into a ball, on the plate, before proceeding to grab the ones that hadn't been touched.

But then, something called her attention.

One of the napkins had a black mark in one of its corners. Yazi frowned curiously, and took it in her hand to take a closer look; it didn't seem to be any sort of leftover from the order. She wondered if it was a bug or something similar, but upon closer look, she realized it was either pen or pencil. And she also noticed that it wasn't a random smudge or doodle, it was perfectly shaped into a star.

But not just any star, Yazi recognized it, because she had stared at it many times before. It was the same star that she had on her shoulder, the same star that Henry had given her in a necklace almost two years ago.

And it was sitting right underneath the cup that Henry had been drinking from.

* * *

**A bit of a cliffhanger there! Is the star a mere coincidence? I mean, he did look at it for a while when Yazi brought the order, so… Who knows. Maybe he was just bored.**

**The flashback in this chapter was so difficult to write, specially the castle parts, since descriptions are not really my forte, but I'm glad I managed to get the chapter to you anyway! I hope you enjoyed it!**

**See you soon!**


End file.
